Chaos's Warm Embrace
by Laylah
Summary: Set immediately after Arkham's betrayal during DMC3, Vergil's quest for power turns into one bitter ordeal to stay alive. Vergil&Lady pairing eventually. Dante and Dark themes later. Please read, review and criticise to your heart's content.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey peeps, this is my first shot at Vergil/Mary pairing, so do bear with me -grins- This won't be a fluffy fic though, but not overly dark either. More to come soon! Enjoy! And don't forget to review please!  
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"**Fade away in a quest for life**

**Until the end, don't judge me nice"**

"**The Devils Cry" –DMC3

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He was falling. Fast.

Sparda's spell had been broken and victory had eluded his grasp, much to Vergil's bitter, angry disappointment.

He had to trigger the devil's form, but Vergil felt his demonic power ebbing, a numb sensation enfolding him, as he plunged into the darkness below…

Hours later, when the black vertigo faded, the blue half-devil felt strength and life returning to his numb body, and his mind began to function again. Pale sapphire eyes glanced about the ill-lighted, shadowy room quickly, long hands, encased in gloves of brown leather, twitched once, and immediately searched for the keepsake katana.

"Are you looking for this, by any chance?" The voice came from a female, standing in front of him, holding the Yamato to his throat, giving him an icy blue brown stare.

The brooding line of Vergil's cruel mouth tightened with immense irritation at his unpleasant predicament.

That accursed nuisance of a girl, Arkham's daughter, was not only brazenly pointing his own sword at him, but keeping a pistol firmly levelled at his head point blank as well. Though Vergil noted her ebony rocket launcher was nowhere in sight, she must have lost it during the fall. _What a shame_ Vergil sneered inwardly.

"You're not so tough without your toy, are you, devil-scum?" Mary spat.

Vergil made a quick mental note to punish the girl for her insolence and silence her smart mouth with the said "toy" as soon as he could figure out a way to get back to his feet without getting skewered in the process.

"Devil-scum? I would have thought a girl of your intelligence would come up with something more creative than that." Vergil said deadpan, his dark voice formally polite, yet edged with bitter sarcasm.

Mary narrowed her eyes. Who the hell did he think he was? _Arrogance must run in the family_, she concluded.

"And I would have thought a man in your position would know better than to open his mouth at all, let alone smart off like that. I could blow your brains out right now, although judging from your attitude; you don't even have brains at all to begin with." She said with an icy scowl.

_Just like her father, all talk and no walk_, Vergil thought to himself. If she wanted to kill him, she would have pulled the trigger by now, in fact, she would have had plenty of chance to finish him off while he had been unconscious.

His frosty blue eyes drilled into hers, searching with a cold analysis for the motive behind her reason to keep him alive.

"I can't say I particularly relish this delightful little chatter either, but I do sympathize with your lack of originality, given you must have spent too much time in my dear brother's company." He said smoothly, casually.

Then, before she could formulate another comeback, Vergil moved with a lightning swiftness and swept her legs out from underneath her. Taken completely by surprise, Mary fell on her back with a grunt, the weapons knocked from her hands.

Vergil extended his arm and caught the Yamato's hilt with a deft flick of his hand, before it could even hit the floor; he sprung to his feet, gaining the upper hand.

Mary acted quickly and whipped out her desert eagle, firing the whole magazine at him with an accurate shot, grinding her teeth aggressively.

The blue devil spun his katana in front of him with a lethal grace and violently blinding speed, deflecting the spray of bullets, which promptly bounced off the whirling shield and ricocheted across the room, expanding out in random directions. Mary's eyes widened and she quickly rolled out of the way behind a pillar. She immediately reloaded the semi-auto, before the demon swordsman could get within close range.

Her heart raced with the thrill of the fight, her eyes blazing blue brown fire, determined to make him pay for that sorry display of a male bravado. Instead of shooting, however, Mary bided her time until he was well within radius; then she pivoted on her heel with catlike dexterity and slammed her steel capped red boot hard into his face, eliciting a pained groan from Vergil.

The half-demon staggered, spitting blood, but held onto his sword. When the next, deadly burst of bullets rained upon him and embedded in his chest, Vergil channelled his cold demon anger and superhuman strength and resilience to heal the wounds that would kill a lesser mortal ten times over, striding towards her slowly with grim purpose all the while she kept shooting him, unblinking glacier blue eyes holding her gaze fast as he did so.

Mary took a step back uneasily, her face, glistening with sweat, etched with a look of disgust and apprehension.

Vergil suddenly lunged forward and disarmed her skilfully, kicking the gun away from her reach before she could react.

Mary glared into his face defiantly, balling her hands into a tight fist and panting softly, preparing to accept defeat with a bold composure. Then she blinked in surprise when Vergil sheathed his katana in one swift, fluid motion, instead of running her through with it.

"Why are you sparing my life? I don't need your mercy!" Mary shouted at him in sheer frustration, her temper snapping.

"I'm afraid my decision to let you live has nothing to do with mercy or gallantry." Vergil said crisply. "Whether you like it or not, we are both trapped in this place." He gestured around the eerily lit marble room that had no apparent exit with the Yamato to emphasize his point. "I don't know about you, but I will not waste time here more than I have to. I suggest if you want to see daylight again, you'd better drop the attitude and learn to cooperate." His voice was deep, dark and resolute.

_Desperate times calls for desperate measures…_Mary grudgingly thought, glancing around. As much as she hated to admit to herself, the silver haired half demon had a point.

She picked up her desert eagle from the floor and holstered it, missing the reassuring weight of Kalina Ann against her back already.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll find my own way out, Sir Galahad." She said stubbornly anyway, turning away from him with a frown.

Vergil arched a silver eyebrow thoughtfully, wondering how she was planning to do that.

"Suit yourself." Vergil said with an uncaring tone.

With or without her, he was determined to get out of this claustrophobic room, as soon as possible.

If there was one thing on earth more infuriating than his brother, it must have been women….

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	2. An Unlikely Alliance

**A/N:**** Hey folks! I'm glad you liked the start. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Veronica: Wow, thanks. : ) Here's the second chap hope it doesn't disappoint.  
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**Bustahead: That you promised. –grins- Thanks for that. Nah, I won't leave this one as a one-shot, I just love the idea of V&L biting each others' head off too much for that. We'll see how the story gores. Enjoy!**

**Chaos Sparda & Crimsonwolf &kiki0303: Glad to see my old readers back! Yay, hope you enjoy this one.**

**Anonymous & Sam Valentine: Thank you very much for the support!**

**Kireiko: I remember you reviewing Bittersweet, in fact you were one of the first to encourage me! –hugs- Thanks!**

**Anonymous person: I hope this chapter clears things for you a bit. As for Lady's name, you know, I agree with you on that one, actually. Hmm, I called her Lady in Bittersweet but in this one she's Mary, oh well, hope it's not too much of a problem for you though she's the same person, -to me, at least- by the way you're right on the 3rd pov. Regardless, she's Lady from this chapter onward. It suits her personality better somehow I reckon.  
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**Please enjoy, and tell me what you think, where I need to improve the story etc etc... Ta!

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_I'm in Hell all right_… The raven haired huntress thought grimly, her eyes searching the vast, subterranean marble room for some semblance of an exit. Her awakening had been a bitter, disturbing memory; something she'd rather forget…

After her manipulating bastard of a father had broken the spell to unseal the entrance into Hell, the whole building had vibrated with a dark quake. Arkham had successfully eluded the devil twins and his daughter, kicking them over the edge of the pedestal rising out of the ground rapidly with a quick sweep of his leg, sending them tumbling down into the dark oblivion of the lower Temen-ni-Gru.

When she had awoken, it was to find herself sprawled atop a man, the enemy, Dante's dark twin brother Vergil, to be exact.

She remembered, with embarrassment and annoyance, that when she lifted herself off him groggily, she couldn't help but pause to acknowledge his cold beauty; her gaze flicking over the sharp, prominent cheekbones, the straight patrician nose, the regal lines of his face, the mussed platinum-silver hair that no ordinary human possessed…

But his outward beauty was only a mask to his diabolic mind and cold-blooded, ruthless spirit.

Lady didn't know which was more irritating; the fact that she was stuck in a dingy, godforsaken underground room with that annoyingly arrogant and cold-hearted bastard of a half demon, or that the deep cut Arkham inflicted on her inner thigh with Kalina Ann's sharp blade began to sting again, fresh stains of bright red blooming through the piece of cloth she had quickly used to stop the bleeding.

She stole a quick glance across the room to the half-devil, who was apparently having no success finding a way out either. His pale face was expressionless, cool, lazuline blue eyes sweeping over the place without emotion. The fact that he could be so calm in a desperate situation like this, only added to her frustration.

Vergil paced around slowly, studying the sturdy walls, examining every nook and cranny, tapping his finger with a silent rhythm on the hilt of his katana thoughtfully, purely out of habit.

_This makes no sense…How did I end up here in the first place?._.._There must be an exit here somewhere_…His mind went back to the ritual, the fight with Arkham, then the fall, following the inner sanctum's revival. He remembered his disoriented body plunging into a chasm…

He immediately looked up to the high ceiling, supported by grey pillars, but there was not even so much as an opening in the ceiling, not even a single trace of disturbance in the entire place. This seemed very odd.

So, they must still be in the Temen-ni-Gru, possibly in one of the subterranean rooms of the lower levels, maybe even the dungeons used centuries ago by the disciples of the demon clans. But Vergil dismissed this theory as there were no torture implements or any other horrid punishment devices. In fact, the torchlit room resembled a perfectly ordinary section of the infernal citadel. Though, Vergil could swear he had never been to this part of Temen-ni-Gru before.

He cut his gaze to the girl, who was wrapping a piece of cloth around her pale thigh to contain the bleeding, black lashes lowered, a slight crease marring her smooth forehead as she worked, pain flickering in her bi-coloured eyes.

There he was, trapped underground like a rat, while that viper Arkham was getting closer to ascending to godhead.

All of a sudden, there was a deep vibrating, rumbling sound as a slight tremor shook the tower, as though the whole building was rotating. This caused Lady to snap her head up sharply and glance about cautiously, her desert eagle drawn at the ready.

Vergil made no move, however, and stayed stark still, listening with his sharp, supernatural hearing.

Then he remembered something.

The realization brought a triumphant light to his eyes. Someone, possibly Dante, must have accidentally activated the tower's ancient mechanism that changed the whole interior of the Temen-ni-Gru into that of a complex, maze-like labyrinth to keep intruders out, or even worse, trap them inside. The only way to reach the surface depended on sheer luck and some basic knowledge of the layout of the labyrinthine tower.

That was why the entrance had been sealed, possibly behind solid walls, only to be revealed to sight when the tower would soon rotate again…or so Vergil hoped.

His steely blue eyes clashed with Lady's bi-coloured ones, and Vergil stared at her with a superior look dominating his face. Under normal circumstances, he would have completely ignored her, but…something about her stirred his curiosity, a bizarre urge to challenge where other men would find her threatening and overbearing. Maybe it was her no-nonsense, screw you attitude that he found mildly intriguing for the time being.

Lady frowned, her suspicion and irritation mounting as she whipped her gaze to the blue-clad half-devil.

Vergil was casually leaning against a pillar, with an air of someone waiting, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana.

He obviously despised her. Why that annoyed her so much, Lady didn't know, and wasn't eager to find out either. Indeed, he must dislike her intensely, he didn't need to say the words, the look of disdain in his eyes spoke volumes…

"You can wipe that smug look off your face, asshole. I don't see you leaving any time soon either." Lady snapped.

Vergil would have laughed if he didn't know better. A violent urge to roll his eyes at the tempestuous human took over, carefully hidden by his noble breeding. _When the time comes, it's going to be a pleasure to put her in her place._

"I simply asked for your co-operation, and that doesn't involve you buzzing in my ear all the time." Vergil said flatly, regarding her with cold contempt.

"Since when have I agreed to assist you, demon filth?" Her words had a mocking edge, causing her usually soft voice to sound harsher than it actually was.

Vergil was completely unfazed, his naturally low-pitched, deep voice darkly polite and distant as ever.

"I see no reason whatsoever why you should resort to such crude means to express your objection. You might not be familiar with the conducts of Ladylike etiquette, but at least you can try to be civil; and not calling me names is a good start."

"God, as if I care. How about you stop lecturing me and start looking for a way out? What are you waiting for? A magic portal to open or something?" Lady scoffed.

Then, the colossal tower shook with the force of the rotation, the walls shifting and sliding to reveal a steel-chrome door engraved with a large, ancient demonic emblem.

"I think I'd rather use the door myself." Vergil said triumphantly with a note of satisfaction.

Lady rolled her eyes, ignoring his last remark and inspecting the door.

"Stop." Vergil ordered in a warning tone with an ice-laced calm.

Lady could not believe he even had the nerve to exercise authority over her. She opened her mouth to ask him to please stop patronizing her, but Vergil put a finger to his lips, motioning silence, and drew his katana swiftly.

Lady, seeing him react thus, promptly pulled out her desert eagle, placing her finger on the trigger, backing away from the door slowly.

"What is going on?" She murmured.

The half-demon did not answer, his keen, supernatural hearing detecting the unmistakable sound of irregular, clawed footsteps, the rustle of coarse, hell-spun black robes, the low croak of demons as they communicated in their hell-tongue. Hell Vanguards by the looks of it.

Sensing prey on the other side, the demons blasted into the room in a flurry of sand, wicked scythes raised to seek and slay tender human flesh.

Lady was the first to react, firing both guns with a professional accuracy, the hallow points finding their target instantaneously. Then the huntress focused her attention on the lesser demons that started piling into the room, reloading briskly and commenced shooting.

The other Vanguard lunged toward Vergil, seeing he was the closest target, scythe lifted as it went for his face.

Vergil raised his katana above his head and parried the strike, forcing the monster back and quickly launching a counter attack, Yamato slashing at a vertical pattern at maximum speed, slicing the creature in half effortlessly.

The remaining Hell Vanguard, seeing the half-devil was preoccupied with his dying foe, teleported beside Vergil, taking advantage of his distraction and catching him by surprise. With eyes blazing unholy hellfire, the dark reaper brought the scythe wildly in a downward arc. The blade glanced off Vergil's neck as he ducked his head just in time, but the hellish metal grazed his shoulder, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

Vergil's lips twitched slightly, his teeth clenching at the sharp pain, causing him to swing around to impale the monster on his katana.

The creature vanished into thin air with a shrill, malicious laughter, just as Vergil was about to strike back, causing Yamato to clang against the ground in vain.

"You're not worthy as my opponent!" Vergil uttered a sharp hiss at the cowardly entity as it re-materialized behind him.

Just as suddenly, without even looking back, Vergil lifted the Yamato high in the air, executing a lightning rapid combination of slashing strokes with his blade that invoked a blue-white blaze in its wake.

The Vanguard's shriek ceased abruptly as it stilled, its hideous features frozen in shock, the weapon dropping from its skeletal, taloned hands.

Vergil slid the Yamato back into its scabbard with a slow, silent grace, as the monster stumbled, its top half sliding down to the ground with a disgusting sound of muscles and bones tearing, and then burst into a cloud of dust.

Meanwhile, Lady was already out the door, holding her gun in front of her as she searched the dim passageway ahead.

Vergil moved beside her stealthily as a jungle predator, pausing to survey the narrow, marble staircase that seemed to spiral downward forever into the lower recesses of the tower.

"Well, move it!" Lady said impatiently. "Or are you going to stand there and wait for the rest of your demon buddies to show up?"

Vergil's frosty demeanour did not once waver, but his blue eyes turned sharper, flaring a fiery shade of red for one fleeting moment as he glared at her.

"I suggest you exercise some self-control and keep your witty little remarks to minimum. You would do well to remember that I'm not Dante, and will not further tolerate your disrespectful tone with me."

Lady was ready to tell him to shove it and go to hell, but something dark about his voice cautioned her that this might not be a good idea after all. She was wounded, tired and in a weakened state, and biting her tongue seemed easier than to confront him again one on one in another bloody conflict.

To the half-devil's surprise, her cerise lips curved in a brief, chilly semi smile that vanished as soon as it came.

"You know, a simple "get lost" would have been enough." She said mildly.

Vergil's eyes glittered with a cold gleam as he pushed past her and began to descend down the stairs.

Lady followed behind, trying to ignore the goose bumps in response to the brief electric contact of their bodies as he brushed past.

Vergil moved further down the spiralling staircase, passing through an archway and emerging into a feebly lit, narrow corridor.

Looming down the end, blocking the door was a legion of more Hell Vanguards, attended by a horde of Hell Prides.

Vergil frowned at this unusual predicament. The Vanguards were a solitary race and preferred to hunt alone, or in pairs. A pack of them certainly did not bode well, and Vergil counted at least six of them. He knew he had to act quickly before the demons alerted to their presence.

"Stay back." Vergil commanded in a low voice, concentrating on his demon energy.

"Stop treating me like that already, I can take care of myself!"

"I warned you." Vergil said simply, his voice changing, deepening.

Lady understood his meaning and backed off immediately when the devil-tide began to ride Vergil's body, blue black energy pulsating around him and damaging all that came into contact with the unholy ripples of the transformation.

Within a second, a flurry of blue crashed into the Vanguard pack, Yamato spinning like a hurricane, cutting through the demonic ranks with wrath of the devil knight and turning them into a mist of fine dust.

Another tremor seized the tower; the walls trembled, even though the citadel was not rotating this time.

A huge crack split the ceiling, running the entire length of the corridor, growing wider each passing second.

Vergil and Lady dashed down the corridor, to their utter horror, finding the door tightly sealed.

Vergil hauled his entire weight against the steel door, but it wouldn't budge. He knew doors like these were constructed with magic to resist demonic strength and supernatural force.

Lady suppressed a sigh…where was her trusty Kalina Ann when she needed it the most? Then she remembered, seeing the triangular shaped symbol on the door, two green stones gleaming, and the third slot empty. She fumbled in her belt, withdrawing the green stone she had found earlier in the first room while Vergil was unconscious.

Vergil's sharp gaze fixed on the glowing object in the girl's hand. Of course, the orihalcon stone! How did he ever miss that?

Lady fitted the green stone into the empty slot and stepped back, relishing her moment of victory as the door slid open to reveal an elevator.

Then, as she was about to step inside, the floor beneath Lady split and broke.

Vergil, seeing her doom, acted purely out of instinct, and quickly pushed her roughly out of the way and into the elevator.

"What was that for you assh...!" Mary glared, her sentence trailing off as she drew in a breath, seeing the floor cave in, marble and debris disappearing down into the chasm below.

"A simple –thank you- would suffice." Vergil commented harshly, jumping in after her.

Lady leaned against the chrome wall of the elevator in sudden exhaustion, wiping dust off her face with the back of her hand. Her stubborn pride refused to express the gratitude she grudgingly felt, and she lapsed into unusual; silence. Her stomach was churning, and she was feeling dizzy from blood loss.

As the elevator hummed to life, and shot upward, Vergil wondered just what kind of irrational thought possessed him for that one moment, and drove him to save the daughter of his loathsome foe, even though he didn't give a damn whether she lived or died.

_Great_, he thought broodingly. _I'm turning into a maiden saving knight. Father would be proud._

Vergil, however, was far from proud.

He was furious.

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	3. A Bitter Truce

**A/N: Hey folks! First off I want to thank you guys for all those lovely reviews…wow! I'm sorry for the wait –grumbles- My roster's changed, so I've been working odd hours for the past couple of weeks, got no time to go on the net. But I've got the day off so here we go again with a slightly longer chapter hehe.**

**Bustahead: Thank you! Your review means a lot to me! –grins- I'm sure you'll do a brilliant job with WW. Hurry and update already!**

**Veronica: I'm absolutely dee-ligh-ted you're liking this! As for demon ass kicking, Lady and Vergil need to vent that anger on something now don't they? –grins some more-**

**VergilSparda666**** Verge's indeed yummy and all, but will he remain that way when Lady's finished with him? –grins and hugs- Thanks for the review Emily you rock! I promise I'll catch up on Survivor, sorry for the delay, I'm not neglecting one of my fav stories! -points to the author's note-  
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**Sam Valentine****: Yeah, they're a tad tense actually aren't they? Hmm, they'd better do something about it before they throttle each other! Thank you for reviewing!**

**Vampy Sparda****: Thanks so much for reading and lovely comments! I do try to keep them in character, and I'm glad you like it. Oh yeah, no worries about Lady making hell for Vergil, he hasn't seen anything yet :0B**

**Chaos Sparda****: Hey no worries! You always make my day with your constructive and positive reviews! –hugs- The muse is still there, but I'm not, unfortunately, work's been a bitch to me. But I promise I'll try and update regularly, say weekly at the very least!**

**Collective Thanks and Muffins also go to: **

**Sable , kiki0303 ,Cassandra, Goddess, Chronos, bhr33, ****breezy1028****, Jaded Rose, Leoth, Hideto. **

**Whew!  
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**Well, here goes…Enjoy!

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_Now what_…Lady wondered, stepping out of the elevator into a dark hallway, eerily illuminated with green phosphorescent lights. She was feeling light-headed and rather uncomfortable around Dante's enigmatic dark twin, but she'd sooner die than show her distress.

She clenched her teeth hard to ignore the stinging pain in her thigh, and held her guns in front of her in a defensive mode as she slowly, carefully made her way through.

Vergil, who was as calm and indifferent as ever even in the most awkward situations that would shatter a lesser man, followed closely behind, although his fingers were loosely curled around the Yamato's hilt at his side.

The pair proceeded down the walkway, Lady glancing over the exquisitely detailed murals covering the either side of the walls, depicting blood-thirsty abominations, glorifying infernal supremacy. A look of sheer disgust crossed her face while Vergil focused his gaze on the huge, masterfully carved statues that decorated the walkway. Statues that resembled chess pieces…

"It's so quiet here…" Lady observed in a low voice.

Vergil retained his detached silence as he quickly scanned the statues, somewhat thoughtful as his demonic perception picked up no devil essence entrapped within the statues' still stone core.

Lady rounded a corner and moved onto the next room, and regretted her action almost immediately.

As soon as her red boot stepped through the threshold, an alarming survival instinct made her dive out of the way of a massive gate that slammed shut behind her, trapping her in the room and blocking the entrance as well. Then the slamming of iron bars resounded from the opposite direction.

Her eyes met Vergil's through the metal bars in mutual surprise, then the bi-coloured irises focused past him, her gun raised.

A slightly puzzled expression on Vergil's face quickly turned into dawning realization as the bullets whizzed past his ears and hammered into the looming statue of a horse-knight behind him that had just sprung to life, its horn poised to impale the half-devil.

Vergil spun with a flourish of his blue trench coat, watching the statue crack and split open, crumbling before his eyes.

Lady then swung around to face her new opponents in the form of damned chess pieces, leaving the half-devil to deal with the rest of the stone monsters in the corridor.

With a sickly greenish blue glow of light, the statues materialized before her; pawns, knights, the bishop, the queen…the full ensemble complete with a particularly freakish looking statue that towered the rest, which Lady assumed was the King.

The pawns' twin swords began to glow red, and the knights advanced, horned heads tilted, preparing to trample her.

Lady lifted her Uzi, her mouth twisting in anger as sheer adrenaline pumped through her aching muscles, finding strength once more. She braced her feet with experienced control, and pulled the trigger.

The powerful submachine gun began to spray across the room with thunderous bursts of fire rounds, devastating all the infernal sculptures that were caught in its range. The bishop, directly in the line of the spattering gunfire, shattered, and Lady emptied the entire cartridge into the dreadful statuary, dispatching the peons and knights which crumbled almost instantaneously at the relentless hail of bullets that tore through their ranks.

The queen started to glow red, hurling fireballs and shooting a laser beam in Lady's direction before the bullets smashed into its stone core, destroying it completely. With a graceful leap, Lady jumped away and dodged the hellfire, landing on all fours lithely before the metal gate.

Quickly, she emptied the Uzi's chamber and fed a fresh clip into the SMG. In the hallway beyond the iron bars Lady could hear the clashing sound of metal on rock followed by exploding rock.

With sweat coursing down her forehead, Lady realized the "King" was still "alive" and had opened its core, revealing a flaming ball of condensed demon energy, ready to blast and disintegrate the puny human.

But the monstrous statue blasted the empty air, crimson beam of laser shooting into the wall uselessly, as Lady propelled herself up and back flipped over the damned king, pointing the Uzi square at the massive statue, her eyes narrowing and her mouth curling into a grim smile.

"Check-mate, asshole!" She snarled, and pumped the full-auto into the King's unprotected core. The monster was forced back from the impact, and Lady smiled when she heard the unmistakable sound of rock smashing into bits and finally exploding, stone shards flying, followed by the sound of iron barricades lifting to reveal the passages once more, she noted with relief.

Rock-dust hung heavy in the air, cascading down Lady slowly and clinging to her dark ebony hair and pale face.

Lady holstered her still smoking guns and watched Vergil walk –no, saunter- into the room slowly, sheathing his katana with a dark elegance and looking at her with an unreadable, scrutinizing blue stare.

"Not bad, for a human. A remarkable performance, which was quite entertaining to say the least." Vergil observed in a bland voice that never failed to provoke her.

Lady felt an involuntary rush of pride at his appraisal, but at the same she was deeply annoyed as well by his supercilious tone.

"I'm glad you're entertained, though I'm sorry to have cut the fun short, but it appears I'm out of target practice. Maybe you'd like to fill in the role?" she said sardonically, in a surprisingly soft voice.

Vergil gave no answer for a moment as he studied her, reluctantly fascinated by her courage. She didn't cower like the others, and always looked at him straight in the face when he spoke to her, and that garnered his grudging respect.

"Well, it's a refreshing change to see you can actually talk like a Lady after all. As for being a target practice, I suggest you join the queue." Vergil said with slight mirth glittering in his eyes, enjoying the transparent, utter vexation on her face.

"You sound really desperate for another round of ass-kicking!" she said irritably, tapping her foot restlessly, her lips pressed in anger. To this; Vergil simply gave a blasé look.

"I think we've already established whose ass gets kicked all the time, as you so elegantly put it. Although I'm in no great rush to repeat our little dispute, I assure you I would never think of being so rude as to refuse a Lady's challenge." He said crisply, sternly, with no amusement this time.

Her vision blurred slightly as she glared, and she braced against a wall to steady herself, her hand travelling to her temple. She tried to shake off the sudden creeping drowsiness and pain that engulfed her leg.

Lady bitterly resented her moment of weakness, hoping it would pass soon, for she never showed emotion other than righteous fury since her mother died, and hardly ever in front of strangers, let alone a devil.

Vergil, on the other hand, simply watched her; he seemed unaffected by the gashing wound on his shoulder and arm, blood staining his blue trench coat to a dark shade of grape wine purple, his demonic blood already beginning the slow healing process.

He wasn't sure which was more irritating; her stubborn refusal to acknowledge and accept her vulnerability, or the fact that they were wasting valuable time. Fathomless blue eyes drifted toward her in an expressionless sideways glance.

Lady was clutching her bloody thigh, wincing from obvious pain, replacing the antiseptic cloth with a fresh one. Vergil noticed the yellow pus oozing with blood from the deep cut, the telltale sign of infection.

Lady frowned deeply, aware of the cruel blue eyes sharply fixed on her, and so she straightened immediately, feeling her head spin from the effort, focusing all her will to stay alert and dignified as possible.

"You don't need to act tough to impress me, so you may as well sit down." Vergil said, gesturing at a cold stone bench that suddenly looked so inviting.

_Impress him? He must be out of his mind!_

"Oh, thank you kindly. Last time I checked, I didn't require your permission to sit down." She said with bitter sarcasm, feeling her anger return with an immediate sense of despair, a hot flush of embarrassment suffusing her cheeks, her thin raven brows knitting in a frown.

Vergil shrugged airily.

"If you don't slow down, next time you will collapse in the middle of a fight. As far as I'm concerned, a true warrior would rather kill herself than suffer such indignity. But then, it's just me." He said in a toneless, coldly practical voice.

Lady seemed to consider his words for a moment, before mumbling in bitterness.

"Why do you even care…?"

The question echoed across Vergil's mind, quite hollowly…_Why indeed? The question is, do I even care?_

_Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…Wasn't it?_

"Is that what you think? That I _care_…?" He asked with a faint hint of amusement.

Lady turned red. "A man who doesn't give a rat about his own family would shower a stranger with warm affection? Yeah, right…" She snorted, feeling a little unsettled about the awkward turn of the conversation.

Vergil felt himself stiffen, though the impenetrable mask of cold aloofness carefully concealed the hurt he felt inside. He didn't know why her words struck deep, but was only aware of a dull pain when she mentioned family…

Seeing the half-devil retain his brooding silence, Lady hastily added as an afterthought.

"Besides, we should separate now.I can find my own way from here…" Her firm voice softened somewhat.

_Sure_. Vergil thought, _I'd like to see how far you get._

"By all means." He said darkly. _You're more likely to end up in Hell._

Lady strode toward the opening, and then paused at the doorway as a sudden thought occurred to her. A thought that made her sick in the stomach... He was hiding something. How the hell did he know about the exit in the first room? Besides, if there was anybody who knew how to find his way around in this godforsaken tower, it was Vergil.

Furiously, she turned to face him, keeping her frustration tightly in check as she walked back over.

Taking out her desert eagle, she pointed it at him square in the chest, ignoring the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her reason.

"What are you hiding, you bastard? You've played your sick game long enough. You'd better start explaining what the hell is going on here!"

Vergil's shadowed face remained perfectly rigid as he took a step forward.

"What game are you referring to exactly?" He asked crisply, approaching closer.

"You're not that dense, are you! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"No, not really, but could you please clarify for me, so I'm certain not to assume or read between the lines that don't exist!" His hand shot toward her in a blur of motion, grabbing her wrist and wrenching the gun from her grip, frowning down at her sharply as he continued.

"You should be careful with your assumptions there. As far as I'm concerned, the only person who's in the constant habit of playing sick games is your treacherous, belly-crawling snake of a father. You're rather quick to forget he's the reason why we are stuck down here in the first place." Lighting blue eyes flashed, clashing with luminescent bi-coloured ones.

Lady struggled fiercely to free herself from the half-devil's tenacious grip, her eyes blazing right back into his and slanting in rage.

"Don't you EVER mention him to me again! He's not my father!"

Vergil's grasp did not loosen as he leaned closer, glaring down at her, yet his voice was calm and colder than an iceberg.

"Your useless, dramatic sentiments don't change the reality of the situation. I must say I'm somewhat disappointed to have discovered you've inherited more than your eyes from your father. Foolishness is a perfect example to begin with." He said tersely, accusation creeping into his voice.

Lady realized her body was tingling from his awful closeness, brilliant azure eyes penetrating deep, anger roiling in their depths.

"You have no right to judge me, you filthy demon scoundrel! You're the one who started all of this, and look where your stupid ambitions got you! Devil my ass! If this isn't foolishness, I don't know what is!" Lady shouted, unleashing her anger and pain with every word she hurled spitefully at him, snatching her hand from his grip.

Vergil shot her a dark look and flung the gun at her feet with contempt and disgust.

"I tire of your ceaseless insults. Initially I found your impudence mildly entertaining, but now you have overstepped your boundaries!" Vergil's finger twitched on the katana's hilt as he spoke in a voice was dangerously low and sharply edged.

Lady glared, barely refraining from spluttering, decided there was no point in antagonizing him right now, in a dire situation like this. She slowly lowered her gun.

"We're wasting time…" She said somewhat in a more amiable tone.

"I'm with you on that one." Vergil conceded finally, his face grim and glacial, and turned to leave the room.

_If this is your idea of ceasefire…Please spare me._ Lady thought, rolling her eyes and following the half devil out…

* * *

The Forbidden Land was abandoned, or so it seemed. Since the succubi-sorceress Nevan had been gone, lesser demons hardly ever prowled the Subterranean Gardens. Dispatching the few lurking Enigmas and Hell Prides was an easy task for Vergil, and Lady found no trouble keeping up with the half-devil. Her passionate zeal to eliminate the forces of Hell was enough motivation to keep her spirit going. Though Vergil had been right about taking a rest, for she could feel her strength draining and her body rapidly weakening. Worst of all, she was finding it hard to concentrate on the enemy. 

When the last of the demons dissolved into a pile of dust with a pain filled screech, Lady put away her guns, sitting against a wall of the cavern, drawing her knees up to her chest, her head bowed as she allowed herself a moment's peace. The silvery trickle of water nearby and the cascading sound of the waterfall beyond the cavern nearly lulled her to sleep.

A quick exploration of the area had revealed no possible exit route, but that was likely to change according to Vergil. They simply had to wait for the tower to rotate again.

Even though he saved her life, Lady couldn't bring herself to trust the half-devil. There was something definitely dark about him, which eliminated the possibility that he had saved her out of the goodness of his heart.

At least, he was a fearless, valuable fighter companion to have around, despite their differences, and the fact that they bickered constantly. Most importantly, he wasn't trying to get into her pants like every other man she had met before. But then, he was not like other men, Lady reminded herself.

Through half-closed eyes, she saw him walking toward her with a languid pace. She couldn't bring herself to look at him this time, although she was sharply aware of him sitting next to her wordlessly.

"Why are you doing this, Vergil? Is all this bullshit really worth casting aside your brother? Your only family?" Before she could stop herself, Lady asked offhandedly, silently with a moment's fleeting expression of sorrow.

The half-devil's head snapped to the girl immediately, regarding her in what seemed like utter surprise…Not because of the uncharacteristic softness in her voice, or the sheer personal nature of the question…But because she actually called him by his name, Vergil noted with interest.

He was not in the mood for a philosophical debate on notions of good and evil, and if she thought he'd permit a moral discussion about his ambitions and his family, she was sadly mistaken.

"Forget I said anything." Lady murmured hastily, glimpsing the finely angled contours of his face twisting in a frown.

She slowly turned to look at him. Vergil was watching her intently, searchingly. He studied the heart-shaped face of hers, the slightly confused and quizzical look in the luminous bi coloured eyes that shimmered with gold and blue specks, the small scar across her delicate nose, the way her lips pursed in displeasure.

_She is actually quite beautiful. _There was a strange, subtle and mysterious feminine allure beneath that off-putting explosive fire she was possessed of. And the strangest thing was, she wasn't even aware of it, he mused, wondering if those boyish locks of glossy raven hair felt as soft as it looked…

Vergil abruptly broke the eye-contact and stood irritably, hand resting on his sword-hilt as he walked away from her. Lady shivered slightly when he rose, his arm brushing against hers and raising the hairs on the nape of her neck from the brief, fleeting physical contact, charged with something that continued to elude her…and she couldn't quite put her finger on it…

Before she closed her eyes again, Lady pondered why fate had thrown them together like this…

Whatever the reason was, Lady was determined not to let it deter her from her cause.

And she knew Vergil was thinking the same.

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**Uh oh ...I think Lady needs a green healing orb…like right now! What's going to happen next? Well, I promise you'll find out soon. Review before you go if you like, but you don't have to, but if you do, that'd be really great, I mean, gah review already. –grins- **

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	4. Harmony Of The Opposites

**Naturally, A/N: Oh my God, how shall I express my sheer delight at all those reviews…Here I present to you ladies and gents, chapter 4. There's some fighting and sweet loving –grins- not. Hope it is to your liking and if it's not, do let me know. –grins- **

**By the way, I like happy endings too, I just suck at writing them, but I'm not sure this fic's gonna have a sad ending, because after all the crap Vergil and Lady will have to go through, I think they'll deserve their happy ending. I don't promise anything though, just bear with me and see.**

**Vampy Sparda****: Merci beaucoup! Your support means heaps to me. I think there's more to that electric attraction by the way…Please read on –grins broadly-**

**V. Gryffin**** I'm sorry I couldn't update earlier. I get home from work buggered as every night, except on my days off which I get to write freely and unleash that bottled up writing frenzy! Thank you so much for the review btw.**

**kiki0303: Dante will appear in later chapters for sure, but not just yet. **

**VergilSparda666****: LMAO, yeah, so would I. I'm glad to be able to write Verge half as good as you do, man you're so good at it, hey guys you gotta check this brilliant woman's stories out, I'm telling you, you won't be disappointed!**

**Sam Valentine****: Uh huh. Mary's uber special. She's my favourite DMC girl, a kickass character and on top of that she takes crap from no one. Hehe, or does she? Read and find out.**

**Goddess: I think I forgot to thank you personally in the previous chapter, but oh well, here goes my gratitude for your fabulous review. I think you will like this chapter, as it revolves around a battle that is rough as. –winces- **

**Skaye****: -nods- I completely agree with you on the descriptions. Yeah, they can be confusing as hell sometimes but oh well, what's an author to do but keep trying? **

**Censes: Thanks I try! As for Dante, he's busy right now getting himself in trouble and kicking demon ass, but sure, he'll appear soon enough. **

**Travithian Axile****: Hey, thanks so much. I love your story too. –grins- **

**Chaos Sparda****: -chuckles- I wonder how much Verge would go for on e-bay. –checks imaginary price tag and sighs- Man, that's just terrible. –hugs- Thanks for the support, makes me feel all so warm and fuzzy inside hehe. To be honest, I don't have a special writing technique or anything like that, I just read as much as I write, and a quick glance to the thesaurus often helps me defeat the writers block, or a nice walk in the park to de-clutter my mind. I love Metallica, but I've stopped listening to them after the black album, they're just not the same ass kicking trash metal to me, but that's open to debate isn't it? Stephen King? Are you serious? Wow man, I'm flattered phew. Btw you should give it a go and post your story, I'm sure you'll do just fine.**

**Last, but not least …Cookies, muffins and thanks: bhr33, ****breezy1028****, Raven, Jessica and anonymous people.**

**Enjoy!

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**_I saw pale kings and princes too,  
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;  
They cried -- "La Belle Dame sans Merci  
Hath thee in thrall!" _**

**_-John Keats, "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" _**

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Lady awoke to murky darkness, eyelids fluttering as blue-brown irises searched the gloomy cavern, but she couldn't see into the corners blanketed by shadows.

The last thing she remembered was that she had closed her tired eyes for five minutes…She had never meant to fall asleep.

_God, it must have been hours_…Lady couldn't actually tell as time had long ago lost its meaning since she found herself trapped in this dreadful, maze-like tower with Dante's dark twin brother.

Her limbs had gone numb from immobilization, and she winced slightly as she stretched her body and shook off the lethargy. Her eyes grew wide as her senses slowly adjusted to the dark that had claimed the dungeon-like cavern, scarcely lit by a thin, spectral ray of smoky greenish light that leaked through a small crack in the high rock ceiling, which only actually added to the eerie atmosphere.

There was no sign of the half-devil.

Lady's mind buzzed with all kinds of possibilities and she despised the fact that she felt overwhelmingly lonely, suddenly yearning for another human voice to reach out to her in the dark.

"Vergil?" She called quietly, instantly regretting the tiny tremor of despair that crept into her otherwise confident voice.

A shadow moved slightly in a corner somewhere, and to her relief, the familiar cold, controlled voice of the blue half-devil came from the shadow's direction.

"Yes?"

Just like that…No sarcastic remarks, no cocky derision, but just a plain acknowledgement… And it felt strangely comforting.

The dim, feeble light fell from behind, highlighting the sharp angles of his aristocratic face, his cheekbones becoming more prominent and his eyes appearing oddly lit from within with a blue fire.

As the half-devil turned to look at her, Lady's hand flew self-consciously to her unruly ravendark hair in an attempt to brush it out of her eyes with no success.

"What's going on?" She mumbled, getting goose bumps from the sound of her own voice echoing against the stone walls with a ghostly hollowness.

Vergil paused a moment or so. Lady now could hear the sound of rock crunching beneath his brown boots as he paced slowly around the cavern.

"I believe the generator's shut down." He said dismissively, offering no other explanation for the sudden blackout.

Bloody great…Lady thought. Power failure meant the tower wouldn't rotate any time soon, and if the tower didn't rotate, they'd be entombed here…for God knows how long.

"I'm positive this is a temporary situation. The power should be back soon." Vergil added dismissively. _It's only a matter of when…_What was his idiotic younger twin up to now? Vergil wondered gloomily. Then he heard her get up to her feet, outlined as a graceful, slender silhouette against the pale green light that trickled through the crevice.

"Not soon enough. We should get a move on and have a look around." She said, her iron will banishing the growing panic and she flexed her clenched muscles. At least the pain had subsided, though the slight dizziness was still there, no doubt from copious levels of blood loss.

"Unless you happen to have a spare neo-generator, I don't see how _looking around_ will prove useful. I'm no more eager to sit and wait than you are, but right now it's best to exercise patience instead of wasting energy on a fruitless search."

Lady's sigh was silent. It was like the half-devil was made of marble or something; nothing shocked him. Not to mention the way he talked like an old-fashioned gentleman that belonged to the Victorian era…

"You have an opinion about everything, don't you?" She found herself grumbling.

"No, I simply know how this edifice works." He said as a matter of fact.

Lady shook her head lightly, wondering how on earth Dante and Vergil could be twins. They were definitely not two peas in a pod for sure. Far from it in fact; compared to sarcastic, silver-tongued Vergil, Dante was peaches and cream.

As Vergil approached, his face took on an eerie cast, lending him a celestial quality in a twisted way that came naturally to a devil knight.

It was either that, or the darkness was playing tricks on her already provoked imagination.

Lady jolted out of her reverie as a large mass of shadows detached itself from high above and swooped down from the roof, leathery wings flapping frantically overhead.

Lady's hand at once reached for her guns, heart pounding. Seeing the flock of bats disappear through the crack from where the green light emanated, Lady recomposed herself and slid the guns back in their holsters.

"You could have woken me up, you know." Lady leaned against a wall, glancing at Vergil. How long had he been watching her sleep? The thought unnerved, excited and annoyed her at the same time.

"I know." He said morosely, raking a hand through his silver hair.

"And why didn't you?" Lady asked with an ill-concealed curiosity, hoping to get some reaction out of the half-devil.

_Because you were about to faint…Because you needed rest…You should be thankful I was the one standing watch. Ungrateful humans…_

"Because, I desired some peace without you pestering me every two minutes. The silence was a true taste of heaven while it lasted."

_Heaven? What do you know of heaven, you arrogant prick?_

"How chivalrous of you." She commented dryly.

"If it's any consolation, I never claimed to be a gentleman."

"That goes without saying."

"You seem to be quite talented at mindless chatter as you are with those guns of yours." Vergil's gave a derisive snort.

Lady didn't know whether to be offended at this.

"Well, would you prefer _a mindless chatter_ or the guns? Either suits me fine, but I prefer you choose the latter." She said in a voice like smooth silk. The half-devil's sarcasm must be rubbing off on her…

As soon as she finished her sentence however, Lady felt something creep down the wall behind her and crawl over her shoulder. Lady jerked back tensely, panic rising in her throat in the form of a sharp gasp of disgust as she flung off the creature she refused to look at.

_Gross_! Lady thought, nearly speaking aloud her disgust. She hated rats with a passion.

Vergil's head whipped to her direction, katana half-drawn. He saw a rat squeaking in fear and scurrying off into the shadows.

Lady snatched her gaze to the half-devil as something far more annoying than a rat stole her attention.

Vergil was laughing.

It was a low, deep vibrating chuckle; the oddest and the most uncharacteristic thing about the blue devil so far, seeing how she hadn't even seen him smile once, let alone chuckle. A suspicious frown marred her face.

Vergil's dark, quiet laughter ceased, though a flicker of a half-smile lingered on his lips. _The woman who fearlessly rushed into battle with demons and monsters squeals like a girl at a small, practically harmless rodent. How charming._

"You looked quite worried there for a moment. Have no fear fair lady, as I am quite certain the threat has been eliminated successfully." He said with a cynical twist gracing his lips.

_Oh yeah, bloody hilarious_…Lady bristled, feeling grateful for the cover of semi-darkness that concealed her fierce blush.

"Not _this_ threat, you hybrid bastard!" Her already volatile temper flared once again at his mocking tone, the desert eagle appearing in her hand in a flash, safety switched off with a deft flick of her finger and the gun pointed at Vergil's smooth pale forehead.

"In case you're wondering by the way, the chances of me catching a deadly disease from a rat are higher than getting killed in a fight with those ugly excuses for demons that had spawned you."

Vergil's face was blank as he waited –no, anticipated- her attack. He had had enough of her insults anyway.

"Do you actually intend to shoot me this time? Well, if you do, today would be nice."

Lady groaned inwardly, not even Dante ever managed to infuriate her so. This time, the dark half devil was indeed asking for it. He needed a lesson, and Lady was more than happy to educate him…

"Well, consider it your lucky day." Lady sneered.

As soon as she pulled the trigger, however, Vergil ducked his head; lightning fast devil reflexes were once again his saving grace. Yamato was drawn at once, with one perfect motion of his hand. The long, slightly curved razor sharp blade gleamed in the sickly green light.

"My patience has limits, girl. Unless you have the intention of going through with what you've started, I suggest you stop now, because I certainly will not."

"Don't hold your breath, jerk off!" Lady yelled angrily and continued to shoot, her teeth clenching in frustration as the bullets missed their target and zinged past him harmlessly.

_Besides, eventually I'll have to kill him_…She thought, appalled at her reluctance to do so. _Once he's out of here, there will be no stopping him. Better to finish him off now before I get attached and make things even more complicated…_

Attached! What the hell was she thinking! Lady reminded herself there could be no attachment between them except bitter hostility.

Without even bothering to dodge, his katana spinning with a blinding speed in front of him and deflecting the bullets, Vergil strode purposefully toward her.

_It's time to put an end to this nonsense once and for all…_

"You are only wasting ammunition that could be put to better use on those pesky monsters that seem to obstruct our path at every turn. Or even better, wait for my brother." Vergil derided.

Lady stepped back, shooting relentlessly all the while, eventually backing into the cold, dripping cavern wall. To make things worse, a hollow "click" resounded from the empty gun. Even then, Lady kept her finger firmly on the trigger, reaching into her belt for a fresh mag.

"You're despicable! Thanks for the offer but I'd rather kill you myself than wait for your brother to do the job. I'd rather stick with that honourable half-breed than a black hearted mongrel like you."

Vergil's shadow loomed closer still, his tall frame was swathed in darkness, like a black angel of doom.

"This may be a difficult concept for you to grasp, but there is a time even the fiercest warriors, -or most puerile humans in your case- have the sense and nobility to know when enough is enough." Vergil said darkly, wondering if he made it quite clear to her that he didn't appreciate her insults.

Lady was seething, but just when she thought she wanted to make him suffer right then and there, she felt a nagging, fluttery sensation in the hollow of her stomach. It was a sensation of imminent danger that crawled down her spine, and Lady was shaken when she realized the threat came from the absolute, sheer physical nearness of him as well as his sharp tongue and that deadly katana he swung with such expertise.

His hawk like, frosty lazuline blue eyes were drawing hers with bold challenge, his face reminded her of one of those statues of Roman gods she had once seen in a museum when she was little.

_Roman Gods? What the hell?_

"It will never be enough, until this world is purged of your filthy demon kind!" She shouted.

Seeing there was no time to reload the gun, her hand slipped into her brass knuckles she kept in her belt. She drew her knee up and kicked him brutally in the groin first, then slugged him in the face so hard with the brass knuckles the impact of the strike sent the half-breed tumbling backwards in a frenzy of pain, his head whipped to the side from the blow.

Vergil ground his teeth hard on a groan as excruciating pain throbbed in his groin. He tasted blood, feeling it trickle down the corner of his lips.

Despite his dark ruthless nature, Vergil resented the idea of having to resort to fists against a woman; even though she was a worthless human, he found the act as demeaning as the use of guns. But it was time to give her a taste of her own medicine.  
A blue aura of devil aggression started to glow around Vergil, encompassing him in an icy chill of blue anger. Lady lifted her head, eyes widening…Testosterone definitely didn't mix well with demonic blood.

The impact sent Lady hurling backwards to the ground, her already pain-ridden, knotted muscles aching under the strain as she struggled to get back up.

Just when she recovered, she was met with the half-devil's scornful gaze, the blue eyes simmering with hostility. The cold, sharp steel tip of the katana was underneath her chin, pressed into the tender flesh of her throat. Lady's chest heaved with a deep breath, whishing she had her Kalina Ann with her…Then she'd teach him the true meaning of pain.

Lady refused to look at him. She couldn't bear to see the triumph she had been so sure was plastered across the devil's face. But she was compelled to.

To her complete surprise, there was not a trace of conceit or arrogant satisfaction like Dante might have possessed. Instead grim, sullen lines twisted the blank perfection of Vergil's face, and his voice was steely, razor sharp when he spoke.

"Don't ever, - and I repeat, ever- do that again. I've made the obvious mistake of tolerating your insolence so far, but you have crossed the line. If you have a death wish, I will be delighted to administer it. Now get up!"

_Why am I even putting up with her still?_

Lady gave him a defiant look, and stood up with a slow grace. Vergil's gaze flicked to her chest against his will. The top button of her white shirt had come undone during their physical conflict, revealing more of her soft skin.

He quickly averted his eyes from the marble-pale, enticing curve of her breasts faintly outlined, and focused back on her face.

His hand traveled to hers, and pulled the brass knuckles off her gloved fingers with a sharp, painful jerk. Lady grimaced, and her other hand flashed upwards.

Vergil felt the biting, sharp prick of a 12 inch hunting knife against his throat.

"Am I supposed to be afraid now or something?" Lady asked softly, mockingly. _Now we're even, demon._

Vergil advanced closer despite the stinging blade, and he did not remove his katana from her neck either.

"It would be foolish if you weren't." He said slowly, darkly.

Neither of them knowing the full tension of the sensual awareness building up between one another, inched a little closer in defiance, sweat layered faces taut with anger and…certain another savage instinct that had nothing to do with animosity.

A slight shudder ran up Lady's spine as she held the dagger to his throat, now a little shakily. It was impossible to tear her eyes away from his, entrapping her in icy blue.

She opened her mouth to fire one last taunt, but couldn't find her voice. She couldn't concentrate on anything right now except the slow burning fire that suddenly leapt to full, consuming blaze, searing them both.

_Talk about sending out mixed messages…_

Vergil was equally fascinated by the self-doubt and utter perplexity in her brilliant blue brown eyes, wide and startled. Her cheeks were flushed to a rosy shade of pink, and her lips were trembling…

Without intending to, he lowered the Yamato, his fingers slowly sinking into the short, feathery black hair…It was as though the logical part of his mind had switched off, leaving him at the mercy of his passions…

Lady was paralyzed by his unexpected touch. And his face was tilted close to hers, so damned close…As his warm breath caressed her lips, her eyes slid- closed of their own volition, her entire body tingling with anticipation.

_Anticipation of what? What the hell am I doing?_

She could stop him right now if she wanted to, slit his throat and be done with him, even though it was not an easy task as she had originally thought.

Vergil wanted to brush his lips along hers, to torture her with excruciating slowness, explore and familiarize himself with their soft, naturally cherry-rose hued texture, the sensually formed contours…

_Stop right now! Stop before things spiral out of control!_

He was amazed at her shyness. She stood there stark still and silent, her dagger slipping from her sweaty hands. Her whole body was indeed shaking as though she had never been this close to a man before.

The rapidly growing tension was dispelled by the distant rumble of the tower as it swiveled and rotated, the lights blazing back to life with white intensity, causing them to pull away hurriedly.

Vergil removed his hand from her hair without a word, and glanced at her once, before hurrying towards the black opening of a tunnel. He was struggling to contain his rage and the violent attraction he had for the human girl. He had nearly lost sight of his primary goal and let himself go…This was a mistake he would remember never to repeat.

Lady was shaking still as she followed Vergil through the tunnel. She shook her head furiously, telling herself to get a grip. She reminded herself over and over Vergil was nothing but a demon…A callous, selfish and vicious demon…A man with dark aspirations who didn't care about anything or anyone but getting what he wanted.

Yet his warmth and closeness still lingered on her lips…

Lady now knew it was desire that made her fight even harder.

Because, she was sure his kiss would kill her sooner than his blade…

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**Aww, there goes Verge's crown jewels…-pets Verg- Still no green orb or vital star for Lady, things are heating up between the duo and just where does that tunnel lead? See you next chapter guys, take care and uh, do me a favour and review please? –grins-**


	5. The GateCrashers

**A/N: Hey guys, here's the weekly update for you. –sighs contentedly- I'm so glad to be able to sleep in tomorrow. But anyways, a dank underground cavern's such an unromantic place for a ..uh…kiss, don't you think? Um, can someone tell Verge and Lady they need to wind up a little before they end up killing each other…or in each other's arms? –wicked grin- ****Vergil's flashback in this chap was inspired by the cutscene after the twins kill the giant knob Arkham, by the way. **

**Veronica: Thanks to you m'dear –grins-**

**Chaos Sparda****: Sexual tension's good in healthy doses –whatever that means- Thanks for reviewing as always. Haven't read the Dark Tower, heard about it a little though. I'm currently writing the last two chapters of a Brother's Promise, and as you know, Immortal legacy will be reposted under a different title with Vergil as its main character. I'd like to focus on one thing at a time you see, I'm not a multi tasker. Anyways, hope to hear from you again soon.**

**Travithian Axile**** Thank you! Yes, Dante's about to –literally- gatecrash and ruin the whole party soon. –grins-**

**Peter the Muggle**** Thank you very much so! It's sometimes hard to keep them in character, but even though I'm trying my best here –wipes sweat- if you see any oocness or anything just shout! Ta!**

**Goddess –grins- Yeah well, you know how it is, bit of sexual tension on the side is a good thing huh? I never know when these two are fighting or flirting! –grins- tough couple, life's not a crazy party for Lady and Vergil is it…Hehe, I'm glad you like this, here's some more, enjoy! **

**Loho Who did indeed? Vergil's an all evil badass twin but he does have his er…tender moments, I guess –grins- thanks for the review and keep reading! **

**bhr33 –nods- That he is. Vergil loves the attention though so he doesn't mind the fangirls, I don't think –grins- **

**MissPixel****: Thanking you too for a delightful, encouraging review!  
Censes: Wow thanks. Dante will bump heads with Vergil allright, for Lady and more, read on dear reader!  
****Skaye****: I came up with frosty lazuline when I was checking out this Vergil wallpaper, his eyes reflect such cold, wintry darkness, yet infinitely, deceivingly blue. Beautiful. Thanks for reading!  
****VergilSparda666****: Aw, I'd never DARE make a Dark Prince cry, my dear –smirks grins- I hope you like this chapter. –hugs- **

**Sam Valentine: LOL thanks, it's easy to write from guys pov as I live with one of the most feral guys on earth that happens to be my brother –grins- Thanks dude.**

**Muffins&Thanks: ****Moonlight Guardian Angel****, Cassandra, Raven and others…hope I didn't forget anyone.**

**Take care everyone, and please enjoy! Ta!

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As soon as Lady stepped into the dark tunnel, she knew something was wrong; not that things could get any worse at this stage she thought gloomily. Vergil also stopped in his tracks a few paces ahead, glancing back.

They could now hear a loud rushing sound, and suddenly a crack opened in the rock, water starting to hiss forcibly through the widening crack. Lady anxiously stepped back towards Vergil, and then the duo began to run for their lives as the rock gave way and the water tumbled through the rock, rushing after them.

Lady dashed after Vergil, trying to catch up with the fast paced half-devil, panic urging her to run faster when she felt the water lapping at her feet.

They finally came to a dead end, the tunnel opening to a deep, foggy dark chasm that descended endlessly below.

"GODDAMIT!" Lady shouted her frustration mixed with rising terror as she peered over the edge.

"It's too far to jump across to the other side." Vergil observed grimly.

"Shit! Are you kidding! We'd have to _fly_ to get across!"

"And that's exactly what I'm planning to do." He said quite casually.

"Are you mad or something!" Lady glanced anxiously backward at the water cascading down the tunnel towards them.

"It appears that way." Vergil said dryly and propelled himself up in the air, his human body morphing into a majestic, blue winged devil in mid-air.

"WAIT!" Lady shouted with an edge of desperation, barely hearing her own voice over the din of the rushing water.

The blue devil dived down quickly and scooped her up into his arms. Lady clung to the devil, a little dazed, glancing down at the void and squeezing her eyes shut.

Demons and heights…A bad mix enough to make her puke.

Sometimes Lady wished she'd never open her mouth…

* * *

_He's no Sir Galahad, but he damn well acts the part sometimes_…Lady mused, staring at the half-devil's profile as candlelight flickered over him and caused shadows to dance about his tall frame caressingly.

_Caressingly…_

Her face set in a deep scowl as she realized her thoughts were once again straying to what happened –or what might have happened- only moments ago in that dank cavern. She focused all her will to ignore the memory of his awful closeness, the roman sculpted lips hovering just inches over hers…And to her total mortification, the memory of how her whole body reacted to it…

She must have been delirious or something, Lady concluded. But a secret, more sentimental part of her remained adamantly unconvinced…She knew she could have stopped him whenever she wanted. The problem was, she hadn't. Lady shuddered, trying hard not to think what could have happened…

_Stop thinking about that bloody demon and focus on your priorities. Nothing happened, and nothing will ever happen along those lines in the future, you were just tired, and he probably already forgot about it, he doesn't even care, so what's the big deal?_

The fact that she was trying to come up with all sorts of excuses didn't comfort her in the least.

There, he was invading her mind again…

_I've got to get away from him…Out of sight, out of mind…_

Lady forced the disturbing thoughts to the back of her mind for the moment and went back to exploring the vast expanse of the temple-like room which Vergil identified as a less used section of the sunken opera house.

Lady glanced around, examining the graceful architecture of the room, chiselled out of smooth rock and ivory and black marble. It was a sculptural marvel turned infernal shrine of some sorts. Hundreds of crimson candles burned in alcoves and upon carved pedestals, providing a warm and not too bright light, evoking a subtle sensual ambience that was just about the last thing Lady needed at a time like this.

There was a beautiful throne hewn out of rock, draped with a gold trimmed blood red throw of soft satin. Next to it were all kinds of exotic fruit that glistened on silver trays and a crystal decanter full of wine, which stood temptingly to one side along with a goblet. Lady wrinkled her nose, she'd sooner drink poison than consume anything in this tower, and judging from the liquor's unusual purplish shade, it probably was poison anyway.

Vergil, on the other hand, was on one knee, sifting through the pile of dust in the centre of the room that once served as Nevan's private quarters. Dante couldn't have been much further by the looks of it… His fingers touched several empty pistol cartridges, and he picked one up, holding it up to the light to examine it with a thoughtful look gracing his cold face. He could picture his younger twin blasting the lesser demons with Ebony and Ivory…

Memories summoned a faint smile to his lips, which somewhat warmed the icily stern lines, as Vergil remembered when Dante had come home one day, years ago, with those personally and expertly modified identical pistols. Vergil, despite his strict code against the use of firearms had been grudgingly and secretly intrigued by Dante's broad knowledge of guns, and he had found the black pistol which Dante called Ebony particularly interesting…though not in a million years he'd admit that to his brother, his nemesis... Against his will, his mind conjured images of a time that seemed centuries ago now…Carefree, happier times…

"_Got a surprise for you, Verge!" Dante declared in his usual jovial, excited grin, barging into the garage where his older twin had been working out vigorously for the past hour._

"_I'm thrilled, Dante." Vergil said in a flat, satirical tone, teeth bared, his arm and chest muscles flexing spasmodically as he lifted the heavy barbells._

"_So you should be!" The younger twin grinned, removing his worn crimson trench and flinging it at Vergil._

_The young man grumbled and slowly lowered the weights and wiped his sweat covered face with a nearby towel._

"_Unless it is of utmost urgency, I suggest you remove yourself this instant, Dante." Vergil said without humour, he had to get ready for his martial arts training._

"_Aw, come on man, just take a look at these babies, Vergil!" Dante said enthusiastically, producing a set of twin pistols; one gleaming with an ebony lustre, and the other a faint silvery ivory in colour._

"_I'm not much of a gunslinger myself, if you hadn't noticed." Vergil said dryly. "A true warrior would not disgrace himself with use of firearms, Dante."_

"_But a smart warrior would." Dante smirked and continued. "This ebony baby here for example, is a highly lethal anti armour, is capable of continuous three round bursts at a time, and the trigger design is specifically modified for left hand shooters." Dante wiggled his eyebrows at his older twin._

"_Well, I might have a use for it after all." Vergil began to grin slowly and wickedly._

_Vergil snatched Ebony with admirable speed and skill, which prompted Dante to grab the ivory pistol simultaneously, the barrels pointed at one another's forehead._

"_Jackpot!" The twins smirked…

* * *

_

_Is this what they call" away with the pixies"…? _Lady mused, with hands on her hips, staring grimly at the half-devil lost in a reverie.

A sudden chill entered the room, sweeping over Lady's skin and causing her to rub her arms absently. She couldn't hear the hushed trickle of water or the roaring sound of the waterfalls from the subterranean gardens anymore.

She promptly laid her hands on her SMG and desert eagle, glancing toward the exit. A low staircase led to the carved oak door on which a nude nymph was depicted to explicit detail. Lady wrinkled her nose at the nude relief, mumbling something about twisted works of art.

"I see your _artistic_ sensibilities have been offended." Vergil said, hearing her remark and rising to his feet.

Lady turned to the half-devil, about to come up with a smartass reply, but the words never made past her lips as she saw a roiling mass of shadows creeping up silently from behind him.

"WATCH OUT!" She yelled in warning and drew her guns. But before she could open fire, a blast of sand from the core of the shadow threw her across the room into the hard wall. Lady collapsed, biting her lip not to cry out in pain as she heard her bones snapping. Next thing she saw was a black robed, abnormally tall and elongated Reaper-like monster looming over the half-devil.

"Vergil…" The Reaper-demon hissed, his cold, putrid breath licking over Vergil's face.

The sound of the katana sliding out of its scabbard followed a second later. Vergil whirled round and swung Yamato in a brutal downward slash.

The Hell Vanguard gave a shrill, discordant laughter and warped away to a safer position, twirling the giant scythe in great sweeping arcs that would have shred the half-devil into bloody ribbons if he hadn't ducked low and rolled out of the way in time.

The Vanguard's precise, powerful attacks were daunting to Vergil; usually these monsters followed a predictable fighting pattern which made them a fairly easy target, but this particular demon was easily evading the deadly katana, and there was almost a chaotic, unusual method to his attacks.

A frustrated growl tore from the half-devil's throat as the Yamato continued to strike empty air, and he prepared to dodge the scythe looming overhead once more.

Lady limped towards the sub machine gun, picking it up quickly, she began to fire. The bullets tore through the demonic hide, but did not stop the diabolical creature, who decidedly ignored her like one ignores a pesky fly on a wall.

To make things even more complicated, Vergil was lacking in focus, and could not find enough spiritual energy to devil trigger. He brought his body down low, then jumped backward, evading the sweeping scythe swiftly, bringing the Yamato down in a smooth, diagonal pattern. The samurai blade cleaved through flesh and bone, emitting a shrill howl from the Reaper. This only served to enrage the monster, however, and instead of warping to a defensive stance, it lunged at Vergil with a murderous intent flashing in the red hollow of its eyes, skeletal hands raising the scythe-blade high.

Vergil instantly extended his arms and brought Yamato upwards to parry. Sparks flew as the hellish scythe collided with the ancient katana. The Vanguard heaved all its fiendish strength to the blade in order to break the half-devil's block with a fanatical persistence.

Sweat dripped down Vergil's stern face as he continued to hold the Yamato above him, his steel solid muscles straining to their limit as he held the overwhelming monster back.

One slip meant a gruesome death…Vergil felt his limbs begin to go weak under the strain…

Then, out of nowhere he glimpsed a giant arachnid scuttling its way down the wall, its fanged mouth open wide as it spewed forth a sticky mass of web towards the half demon. Lady turned her gun toward the arachnes, and the oversized infernal spiders split in two under the relentless hail of bullets, erupting into dust.

Vergil was instantly glued to the spot however, struggling against the gooey mass he was encased in.

Despair was a bitter thing indeed…Vergil remembered fighting against a similar Vanguard with his brother and mother two years ago. Despite their best efforts, the monster had killed Eva and managed to elude the brothers' vengeance. It hadn't been a gentle end for his mother, Vergil recalled darkly. To hell with those laudanum induced poets beautifying death and the fancy, mythical personifications of twisted and hopelessly romantic, therefore idiotic human minds…

To Vergil, Death was ugly, unjust, final, an obliteration of light, of good in men, ravaging even the most sublime beauty and bringing even the proudest nations and warriors to their feet in agony.

Suddenly, the Vanguard froze, growling in furious pain as Lady's shurikens pierced the tough demon hide, jagged sharp edges embedding in its back, temporarily disorienting the demon.

Vergil's icy lapis eyes glinted and took on a reddish tint as memories once again flooded back. Wave after wave of devil rage lashed at Vergil's soul with a dark tide, and with a roar, he tore free of the arachne's web. Vergil shot forward like a bolt of lightning and thrust the katana right into the distracted monster's gut, impaling the Vanguard on his blade.

"There…will be others, half breed…" The monster choked on blood and bile.

Vergil jerked his katana free with disgust, and with a swift manoeuvre, cleaved cleanly through the cowled, ghoulish head.

The decapitated demon exploded into thousand dust particles as Vergil sheathed the Yamato. A green orb of condensed healing energy hovered above the dust just after, and Vergil extended his open palm to capture the precious demonic essence, watching swirling luminous orb morph into a small, egg shaped stone of jade green.

Vergil went over to Lady, who was now also suffering from a shattered kneecap, bending over to inspect her bloody thigh. Her ashen face was drained, her lips trembling despite her best efforts. The bandage she had clumsily applied would not stop the infection, and did not seem to contain the bleeding anymore either.

Vergil examined the wound without a word, the deep gash had flared up again as he had suspected. The blue half devil reached out a hand slowly as though he was about to smooth back the sweat-dampened, ruffled raven hair from her pale face, but instead his hand travelled to hers, prying her clenched fingers loose and placing the green stone in her palm. Lady glanced at him, then looked at the cold, smooth stone suspiciously.

"I don't want you limping all the way and hindering me in the process." Vergil justified his action smoothly, and pressed the orb into her palm.

The orb melted rapidly, a cool, soothing sensation filling her as her skin absorbed the magic, her wounds healing closed and her initial apprehension turned into unconcealed amazement.

But he was uncomfortably close again, his knee was brushing her thigh and his arresting gaze was fixed on her face. Then he tore his lingering eyes from her graceful figure and straightened, cursing himself inwardly for playing the protector…A role he'd never been good at…

Lady was grateful, but the half devil didn't need to know that..._Don't let your guard down, not again…_

She stood with a feline grace and retrieved her guns, re holstering them, casting a sideways glance to Vergil. A quick smile graced her lips.

"How an asshole like you could be such a gentleman sometimes, I'll never understand." She mumbled.

"Although we have exhausted the subject, I'd like to point out that your lack of manners is becoming a great nuisance."

"You are unbelievable. Well, forgive me _sir_, if I'm not a paragon of social graces." Lady's blue and brown eyes sparkled with challenge again as she headed for the door alongside Vergil.

"One can only speculate about the codes of etiquette a woman such as yourself would choose to adhere to." Vergil derided.

"This is ridiculous…" Lady rolled her eyes.

"Need I remind you that it is you behaving in a ridiculous fashion?"

As soon as Vergil opened the door, several hell prides and enigmas turned to the duo.

"We've got company." Lady glared past the demons, her face flushing with sudden anger.

"It does not require an exceptional intellect to perceive that." Vergil said mirthlessly.

Then the explosion knocked them back, and as debris and dust came cascading down, Vergil saw the familiar figure in crimson leather emerging from the smoke, holding Kalina Ann over his shoulder, and realized that Lady was referring to Dante, and that the real _party_ , as his twin would put it, was about to begin…

* * *

**Oh no, the shit hath hitteth the fan! What's going to happen next? Read and find out, but remember guys, patience is a virtue... -smiles and pokes- Please review k? Ta.**  



	6. One Crazy Party

**IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS: Oh my God…! Has it really been that long? I must say I am deeply sorry for the insufferable hold up guys, I've been through a lot of mess recently and had absolutely no access to internet. Now I'm back, however, -with a vengeance!- and fully intending to finish those fics I've started and just left to..uh...gather dust on the memories of those few who have actually read and reviewed, who have my profoundest gratitude. Hopefully I will be able to have enough time to read and review other stories as well as Im writing. As I always say, work's a bitch.**

**AND One fic I'm definitely returning to complete is Chaos's Warm Embrace.**

**I can't express just how sorry I am to have kept all of you waiting, reading your reviews is an absolute pleasure, as well as writing for you guys, because you're the best!**

**I'm happy to announce that I'm finally posting the promised new chapter tonight, and hope it will be to your standards. Dante is high on the rush of the latest reunion with his twin, and all tensed up for yet another fight, while Vergil is more than ready to deliver a classy round of ass kicking that will see the fiercest demons red. And between the duo stands one human woman who has the ability to change the heart of a devil. But the course of destiny can easily be halted and altered by darker emotions, the 7 sins that govern humans and devils alike. –grins and rubs hands together evilly- Not to mention the three is a crowd for any romance, but a devilish love triangle is about to contribute to the divine screw up. As Arianni remarked, the shit hath indeed splattered all over the place. **

**So, without further ado...I present to you chapter 6. Thanks again for the awesome support that has kept me going so far and keep those reviews coming!  
**

* * *

"Dante…" Vergil's deep voice was a sharp, hoarse whisper; all venom and brimstone. 

The crimson-clad half-devil dusted himself off casually and strode over to the less then unimpressed duo with a smartass swagger, regarding his glum twin and the fiery demon huntress with his typical grin. The fact that he experienced an unexpected jab of jealousy in his gut took a moment or two to sink in as well.

"Hey Vergil. C'mon man, can't you at least just once pretend you're glad to see me?"

"My excitement knows no bounds, brother." Vergil's voice was cold, sarcastic, blood-chillingly soft.

"Well, I'm happy to see you in one piece too. Been itching to give you a suitable bash. Literally." Dante's lips quirked in a dark cheer.

"Likewise dear brother. I cannot contain my exhilaration any longer."

"Anyway, we do have a great deal of catching up to do, don't we, Vergil?" Dante grinned with a maniacal gleam in his brilliant blue eyes.

Before Vergil could reply however, a familiar voice which could best be described as bittersweetly feminine and infinitely irate interjected.

"That's mine, you demon scum!"

Dante grinned broadly and fingered Kalina Ann possessively, tauntingly.

"Finders, Keepers." He said with a kind of innocence that could charm the pants off anyone else.

"You might want to reconsider that." Lady was all grim sweetness as she pressed her freshly reloaded revolver against Dante's silver-fringed smooth forehead and her pistol firmly, dangerously levelled at his crotch. "You see I might accidentally blow your brains out or worse."

The red half devil considered the demon huntress for a moment or so, knowing full well she was every bit aggressive and tenacious enough to go through with her threat. She was not the type to be taken lightly or underestimated in any way. Dante liked fire and spirit in a woman , but was not all too keen to be made a fool by one, especially in front of his brother.

Lady's bright, azure and brown eyes were fiercely sparkling, her small but full lipped mouth set in a hard, no-nonsense edge which actually enhanced her allure and sex appeal. What was she just doing down here with Vergil anyway? He wondered absently whether he had interrupted a vicious battle or a vicious kiss earlier…Somehow the latter didn't seem to enhance his mood.

"Jeez, Lady! Is this the thanks I get for safekeeping your precious weapon? You never appreciate anything, do you?" Dante said ruefully, a hurt expression replacing the lopsided grin; one that did not fool Lady.

"I'd appreciate it if you never touched it again!" Lady snatched her treasured rocket launcher angrily from his lingering hands.

The sound of sharp edged steel sliding out of a leather scabbard drew both their attention toward Vergil. The deadly katana glinted with a dangerous promise of bloodshed. But the blue balefire in Vergil's eyes was colder than the blade pointed menacingly at Dante's bare chest.

"Two against one? That's hardly any fair now is it?"

"Funny, I've never heard you complain before. Or have you lost your edge Dante?" Vergil's hard mouth was shadowed with a pale half grin that was the ghost of Dante's habitual one.

Dante's smile vanished in an instant. His grim, austere face darkening to match his twin's as he slowly, eagerly pulled out Rebellion.

"I might have, would you care to help me sharpen it, Verge?"

"Can you two morons discuss this later?" Lady demanded sharply, her guns pointed at the tall, powerful devil twins preparing to charge at each other. When she pulled the trigger, the bullets darted past the silver-haired heads, blasting the approaching pack of hell prides and other assorted monstrosities.

"Let's show these suckers not to ever interrupt our party, hey Vergil?" Dante smirked with a diabolical mirth.

The blue half-devil glanced at his twin for a second, then without a word raised Yamato like a blazing, magnificent banner, cutting through the first row of the lesser demons.

"Wow!You were always the heart of the party, Vergil!" Dante's grin was wide as ever, Rebellion humming through the air as it swung in the opposite direction, at the core of the rapidly growing multitude of demonic grotesqueries advancing on them with a primal, murderous intent.

A few paces to the side, Lady was fighting off her share of demons.

Vergil did not even blink or flinch when a hellish scythe slashed through between his shoulder blades, pivoting instantly to sever the cowardly foe's hideous head from its distorted spine.

"It appears I'm not the one who's losing his edge, Vergil. Could the female company have softened you after all?" Dante shouted gaily over the resounding din of the melee, his sensual lips split into an ever wider grin if possible, ducking several descending axes and viciously malformed tentacles at the same time, Rebellion shredding through the mob.

Vergil breathed with all the discipline of a well trained samurai, his Yamato whirling in a deadly, sanguine waltz across several repugnant, misshapen faces twisted in exquisite agony, the skilfully wielded blade in fact redefining the meaning of mincemeat.

"If there is one thing the "female company" taught me, is that the fairer sex can actually be more ill-mannered and irksome than you, brother!" Vergil snapped back as his powerful body adjusted to the rhythm of the Yamato and the battle both, his body balanced at a perfect angle each time he received the blows with his ancient sword, teeth gritted in a twisted pleasure as he charged back into the offending enemy with an equally demonic zeal that would pale the prowess of any driven, self-respecting knight of a forgotten era...

* * *

Lady heaved the Kalina Ann over her shoulder, balancing herself by widening her stance, and launched a rocket into the demon horde. The fiery explosion scattered the wailing monsters and what's left of them all over the place. She smiled, finding comfort in the coolness of the heavy weapon against her cheek; Kalina Ann lent her a fierce confidence and strength, it was as if a part of her beloved mother was truly etched forever into the weapon, as permanent as her name etched into its long, sleek body. 

Through the curling smoke, she saw the devil twins fighting off the remaining fiends with an unnatural, amazing speed and strength which was actually a macabre delight to behold. They were a pair of crimson and azure lightning, striking their foes with a brutal, but graceful battle prowess, two unstoppable tornadoes smashing into all that dared oppose them, now backing away in a cowardly rush of panic. Their faces were lit with an eerie dynamic that swirled between them, covered with a thin film of sweat. Those faces…Devils with the beauty of angels... Both distorted in sheer violent pleasure derived only from fighting. It was in their blood, in their soul, that dark demonic essence showed starkly through their deceitfully humane exteriors, crushing anyone caught in its all obliterating path.

Together, the devil twins were more than an efficient team. Though dimensions apart in nature and humour, they strangely complemented and balanced each other in a majestic way no mortal could exhibit even in direst of life threatening circumstances. Their bond struck terror in the hearts of any beholder, reminding the dazed onlooker that theirs was indeed a royal, superior, divine race. Even Vergil, the hard, pale statue; came alive when he spilled blood, a sheer nightmare for all that dared stand against such destructive force as theirs, be it beast, divinity or human.

When the last of the abominations exploded around them in a shower of sand, grisly confetti of chopped metal and body parts, their fast fading screams melted into a dreadful silence that suddenly descended over the place.

Still was the air, and the twins, blades held tightly in anticipation of a sneak assault. Lady wondered just what it was the half-breeds perceived that her mortal senses failed to pick up. Sound and movement were an anathema to the duo, even Dante, whose steely blue gaze scoured their surroundings with a keen alertness. Lady shifted uncomfortably in the opaque silence, her guns at the ready.

The air pulsated with the electric feel of violence and something more savage, whether the remnants of the battle that had been just fought or the foul incense of what was to come, remained a question.

"Do you remember that smell, Vergil?" Dante murmured softly, all serious and uncharacteristically grim, Rebellion clutched in both hands, his steps calculated, excruciatingly slow as he backed away toward his twin.

"How can I forget, Dante?" Vergil said in a hushed, controlled voice that would freeze hell thrice over, which starkly contrasted with the raging, ruthless beast he had been only a moment ago.

A serpentine, bloodcurdling laughter tore through the seemingly empty air, dissonant with the echoes of tortured souls its scythe had harvested unjustly and brutally, resonating and clawing hollowly across the minds.

Dante could taste the sanguine scarlet of the blood in his mouth, the sulphur stench of a blackened soul, of opaque darkness drawn from the deepest pits of hell, charging the air with a sickening perfume.

"Jeez, have these guys ever heard of cologne?" Dante grumbled, on the alert.

"I'd say that personal hygiene is the least of their priority, brother. You of all people should know that."

"Dude, nothing can top that stench, not even my week old training socks. You, of all people should know that." Dante cracked a soft grin.

A low rumble resonated around them, and their bodies, designed and trained to react swiftly, on constant alert to fight and eliminate threat, responded immediately to the shattering of the tomblike quiet. Just when Lady stepped from behind them to shoot the invisible foe, the hurricane force of a blood and sand blast knocked the trio back in all sorts of awkward and painful positions against the wall on the ground. Yamato and Rebellion and Kalina Ann flew from the gloved grasp of their disoriented owners, landing with a loud clatter beside the misshapen stubs that were the feet of a gigantic, loathsome creature garbed in tattered, pitch black robes swathing a warped and aberrant body, its face masqued with a sinister, goat-like skull, overlong, hooklike curved teeth and fangs bared in a perpetually malevolent smile fixed upon the fleshless mouth, huge horns maliciously twisting around the deformed, elongated skull. The sickly light that emanated from the depths of the hollow eyes was the crimson of freshly spilled blood, pure cold malice and oblivion's tortuous promise.

The giant scythe-bearing monster charged solely at the blue half-devil first, somehow eager to finish him off.

"VERGIL!" Dante gave a shout, tossing a custom designed pistol as black as the moonless midnight at his twin's direction, even as he drew its silver white twin.

Vergil grunted in displeasure and annoyance as he failed to get a grip on it as he ducked the first sweeping attack. Then the black pistol was caught swiftly in a beige gloved left hand, arctic blue eyes flaring with a ferocious intensity that rivalled the balefires of hell itself. Vergil immediately flipped to his side, a second too late.

Dante's efforts were harmlessly blocked by the reddish shield that emanated from the creature's abyssal core, and within a split second, Vergil was imprisoned in a claustrophobic, square dimensioned cage made of crackling vermilion demon energy and the polished bones of the fallen. Vergil's steel solid muscles clenched reflexively as he tensed for the second attack, long, sculpted legs parted slightly as he found his balance.

One did not rush headlong into battle –therefore into possible grisly death- with this kind of cunning adversary. Patience and timing were crucial now, moments ticking away in an echo of a grim procession that signalled a possible doom.

Dante gaped open mouthed at Vergil. Just what the hell was his daft twin up to? He could not have been petrified by fear or any such nonsense, as Vergil possessed the iciest will and courage.

"Verge! I don't think you should wait for an invitation you know, that oversized creep is about to start the party without you. HURRY UP MAN!"

Venomous laughter reminiscent of a thousand nails scraping against a polished board emerged from the black void of its fanged mouth. The demon soared alongside its crimson bladed scythe over Vergil and the cage both, its black, shroud-like robes dangling and flapping about it like a banner of doom and evil. The demon descended rapidly down, its scythe blade spinning like a blood vortex, preparing to shred armour, flesh and bone. Stark still and stubbornly silent was the blue devil knight enslaved in its prison, his eyes never leaving the high rank demon, attuned to the slightest movement.

"COME THE FUCK ON VERGIL" Dante yelled impatiently, grinding his teeth in mounting frustration and agitation. Old memories summoned up by the sight of the demon crashed against his sanity. Evil and misguided or no, Vergil was still his family; his only family, and Dante felt no shame in displaying his concern in dire situations that could be their last. He vaguely sensed Lady coming to, behind him against the wall where she had been crumpled like a broken doll.

Time seemed to stand still, and in that moment's frozen stillness Vergil jerked himself upright with a blinding speed and slammed Ebony into the fiend's bone-crafted mask, pulling the trigger right between the eyes.

The demon gave a horrid growl, the scythe hurled out of its skeletal grip. The malefic abomination was enraged and far from dead, but that moment's brief distraction was all Vergil needed. He flipped over the giant scythe embedded like a ghastly trophy to the ground, and his left hand closed over Yamato's hilt, his right making a grab for Rebellion. Armed thusly, Vergil propelled himself against the pulsing inner wall of the gruesome cage and flung himself toward his enemy, stabbing the horrid mask again. Abyss red eyes flickered, registering its mistake, rage replaced by fear. One could not afford to underestimate Sparda's descendant.

The cage shattered and burst into thousand crystalline particles overhead, showering Vergil in a crimson glitter.

"Whoa, this party's getting crazier than I thought. I'm still miffed I didn't get an invitation but." Dante smirked.

"Last I checked, you NEVER get an invitation brother." Vergil hissed, brushing off the red particles that clung annoyingly to his hair and blue leather trench.

His foe was still alive however, its pure hatred for humans and all that was related to them still binding it into existence. The masque was shattered on one side, exposing a stretched, abhorrent visage of such evil that an ordinary mortal would have to scratch his eyes out or risk going insane.

Dante rolled to Vergil's side and Rebellion was recovered from his twin, the ornate silver hilt instantly moulding to its master's familiar, strong grip.

"I'll just tag along then shall I?"

Dante grunted, impaling Rebellion into the exposed, unarmed underside of the creature's chin, wrenching a gurgled scream of disbelief and agony from its throat.

Six inch claws instantly, menacingly wrapped around Dante's neck, lifting him off the ground and shaking him like a rag doll.

A surge of gunfire ripped through the dying demon, and new holes in Dante's leather trench in the process. Dante landed on his feet agilely and watched Lady holster her smouldering guns, her clear blue brown eyes glittering hard like chipped multi co loured crystals beneath raven lashes.

"Damn I feel loved!" Dante muttered and rubbed head still throbbing from the blow and gave a low whistle, then paused.

"Man, I swear if she touches my coat again I'll do something drastic." He dusted off his trench and grumbled as he inspected the new addition of bullet holes through its battered, crimson leather.

" I've observed that kind of behaviour with that particular female could be severely disastrous to one's health, or certain parts of anatomy that seems to govern your mind more often than what could be considered as normal." Vergil, katana unsheathed still, gave a graceful shrug.

"Are you by any chance speaking from first-hand experience here?" Dante asked casually, his brow quirked, his eyes promptly drawing down to the front of Vergil's dark trousers speculatively.

"Let's just say that the Lady's exceedingly avid desire to jeopardise my health and wellbeing has been successfully suppressed so far. But I cannot make the same claim about her equally fervent and unfortunate attitude of brazen insolence."

"Typical." Dante snorted, then raised his silver brows at his twin, glancing down at the razored tip of Yamato resting just beneath his chin.

"You and I have some unfinished business, Dante."

The red half devil automatically welcomed the challenge and trained Rebellion on Vergil's chest. Their eyes locked, blue clashed against blue, icily so.

"You know something Vergil, every time you say that, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside." He said dryly.

"If you two jackasses ever decide to make yourselves useful, I suggest you start by looking for a mechanism that will get us out of here. The tower doesn't rotate by itself, you know." Lady interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, you heard the Lady." Dante said, his blue eyes lit with mirth as he slowly lowered and sheathed Rebellion, part of him relieved at the girl's timely intervention, and he could not say why…

"We require an orihalcon fragment to empower that generator." Vergil gloomily observed, gazing at the gaped opening of a gargoyle mouth suspended from the ceiling. "Maybe we should wait for more demons to make appearance, so you can kindly inquire as to the location of the said fragment, Lady." Vergil taunted with a harsh undertone.

"Just so you know, I'd take my chances with those filthy abominations over you anytime!"

"Just as well; both in temperament and intellect you would be perfectly matched."

"Uh, guys…" Dante butted in, but Vergil and Lady were caught up fast in the heat of their argument, both testing each other's limits of dominance and submission.

"YOU would know, wouldn't you, considering you are after all a part of them!" Lady bristled, hands on her shapely curved hips, staring Vergil straight in the eye with an angry glare.

Dante could feel the air between the demon huntress and his twin suddenly charge up with singeing fire of attraction to which both seemed blissfully oblivious. Dante was experienced enough to know that the more vehemently a woman tried to hold back her passions, the stronger the inevitable explosion would be in the end. Was Vergil blind or something?

"The glaring exception is that you and I can only be matched in perfect resentment. Unless of course, you happened to have another kind of match on your mind, in which case I should point out to you that I make it a habit to avoid any sort of liaison with a foul-mouthed and impertinent woman." Vergil said acerbically.

"Thank god for small blessings!" Lady narrowed her eyes.

Dante saw Lady stiffen, goaded too easily by the seemingly vacant, unfeeling and superior expression Vergil wore like a stigmata. He wondered how much longer this fatal game of seduction go for unbeknownst to them, before they ended up on the floor tearing each others' clothes off. And he also wondered why he was growing more annoyed and worked up by the second by the disturbing mental image.

_Get a grip, Dante, you barely even know her, this is no time to worry about such trivial things. _

If only she knew what his brother was capable of doing…Any union between them would end in tears and heartbreak, and knowing Lady, blood and worse. Vergil was very skilled at manipulation and walking all over those that showed the slightest sign of weakness or affection, which was probably the same thing in Vergil's vocabulary.

_Come on, Dante, are you acting out of an altruistic motive, or do you just want her all to yourself?_

Vergil's proud face was darkened by a shadow of desire and anger enough to cause a mini volcanic eruption in the room. Lady's attention was solely held by him, pinned beneath his penetrant blue gaze. She was deeply mesmerized and annoyed, but Vergil closed the space between them, their bodies brushing against one another, awfully close yet achingly distant, and she was pulled to him. Vergil searched her flushed face, her eyes that always betrayed her emotions, scanning their luminescent depths and amazed to discover an odd warmth there. Her pale ivory cheeks were smudged with faint streaks of blood and dirt…His gaze, guided by sheer instinct, slid down to her lips,which she was keeping firmly clamped to contain the harrowing quiver that jolted through her. Her head was buzzing again, mouth suddenly too dry as her insides began to lurch and melt, slower and lower, where she felt a strange, hot dampness between her thighs. A fusion of flames, that's what she was. And that was what Vergil was instantly attracted to; she was fire to his ice.

Lady felt heat suffuse her cheeks and lips both a scarlet rose. _Why is he looking at me like that…As though he's going to kill me or kiss me…Damn it all to hell…Why can't I just take my eyes off him already? It's not like I've got a crush on him or anything…_

She seized the opportunity to drink in the otherworldly perfection of his face and body. There was something oddly anachronistic about his person; the subtle shadow of a knight from ages past…A dark knight with dark chivalry and even darker aspirations. Her female intuition kicked in as she glimpsed the intense desire like abrupt flashes of blue lightning across his stormy eyes. She braced herself, her fingertips tingling as her hand reached up to his face, uncertainly, shyly, and stroked the smooth cheek. Her mind instantly conjured the memory of how close they had come to indeed killing, or kissing each other…

Dante rolled his eyes royally and unable to watch his twin about to claim the woman he also desired, pulled out the orihalcon fragment from an inner pocket, tossing it high into the air and giving it a mighty kick that sent it hurling straight into the mouth of the gargoyle shaped generator.

He watched in grim satisfaction as the entire building rumbled and shook as the machine buzzed to life, the tower rotating on its axis to reveal yet another passageway toward what could or could not be a death trap for the unwary.

But the true satisfaction he noted, was the moment the sensuous spell between Vergil and Lady broke and fizzed out to nothingness once more, as they hurriedly pulled away from each other and regained their icy composure, Lady looking flustered and Vergil royally agitated.

When the rotation ground to a screeching halt, an entrance way opened up, revealing deadly foot long spikes piercing out of the wall and the roof in pretty much every direction, eerily still and motionless.

"I found the orihalcon fragment, I'm going in first." Dante said smugly, then halted mid-step as the generator died and the jutting, immobile wall spikes were animated into motion as a result…

"Well, don't wait for me!" Dante murmured as Lady and Vergil first stared mutely at the total catastrophe Dante had single-handedly managed , then exchanged exasperated glances. This was One crazy party indeed…


	7. Inner Demons

**A/N: VERY quietly curses the a/n and the individual reply bans I'm so glad to be back, the warm welcome provided me with enough inspiration to write another chapter. (Which, by the way, focuses more on character interaction and individual reflections than fighting, Nevan makes a brief appearance, twins spend some quality(!) time together, also leaning toward slightly darker themes I promised in the beginning of the fic) You guys are simply amazing. And so, I do dedicate this story to all of you out there who read and reviewed. Cheers!**

"**We are falling**

**The night is calling**

**Tears inside me**

**Calm me now"**

**-Devil May Cry theme song.**

Splendid…Was all Vergil could think as he examined the trapped corridor with grave silence, his icy cerulean eyes capturing the flash of blades whirring and the rows of razor edged spikes thrusting out of the polished chrome floor and the walls, ready to impale the careless intruder. His sharp mind quickly assessed the chances of making it to the other end without getting shredded into fine confetti somehow.

"Race you to the other side, Vergil?" Dante asked with a curl of his expressive mouth.

The older half-devil cast an irritated glance at his jovial mirror-image. His thoughts it seemed, were always being interrupted by Dante, who was now most annoyingly nudging his arm and wiggling his silvery brows toward the passageway with interest.

"I believe the exercise might offer a brief distraction from the bitter disappointment of having imbecile for a brother!" Vergil snapped, and then added with an inward sigh. "Very well, ready when you are."

"Now that's what I call team spirit!" Dante snickered, ignoring the less than subtle insult that Vergil had no trouble hurling at him at every turn.

If Vergil had handled Lady in the same brusque, arrogant and tyrannical manner, Dante wondered how his twin managed to elude the tempestuous girl's wrath and still retained his precious crown jewels.

The sudden thought dragged Dante's attention to Lady, who was standing away from the twins and calmly glancing about. Dante sighed, glancing at the only exit which happened to be a death trap.

Having both been through their own share of harrowing physical trials and other soul-destroying experiences that tested the twins' demonic resilience and agility, Dante instantly realized the death trap would be just another mundane ordeal to sharpen and refine their skills. But a human, regardless of how athletic they were, could not expect to come out of this one in one piece.

"She will never make it, you know." Dante observed forlornly, his voice hushed low so as not to be overheard by the ebony-haired huntress.

Vergil retained his silence a moment longer. It was impossible to determine just what was going through that dark, calculating mind of his, as his pale, sculpted face did not even convey the faintest shadow of his thoughts.

Vergil, also glanced briefly over at Lady, and despite his better judgement, indulged in the moment's fond reminiscence of her body so close to him…He recalled the blue-brown flicker of her eyes in vivid shades of anger, in hesitation, in unbridled desire…The smooth, porcelain texture of her skin, the velvety raven dark tresses in boyish disarray beneath his fingers…The infinitely human beauty and mystery of her that was invading his thoughts more often he would care to admit…But the most alarming was the reaction of his soul, not his body.

Her strength, her determination and courage that could be counted upon a crisis no matter what, the compassionate streak, and the gentle warmth sealed deep inside of her that somehow brought out the dormant maiden-rescuing, -therefore utterly ludicrous and idiotic- knight within him; one he repeatedly refused to acknowledge. All this and more elevated her worth in his eyes, and the idea of leaving her behind troubled him.

All the more reason to split up now…He could not waste any more time in pursuit of fleeting companionship, especially female companionship, which only served to addle one's judgement anyway. Vergil was, and had always been, a firm believer that any form of emotional attachment would be a pesky obstacle in one's path to obtaining power and fulfilling his ambitions. The path of demons was a solitary one to walk.

The thoughtfulness fled then, and his icy resolve returned.

"That is none of my concern."

Dante regarded his twin with startled disgust, humour vanishing instantly from his face. He quietly registered the inhuman coldness in Vergil's eyes and the complete indifference with which he tossed the subject aside frustrated him thoroughly.

"Dude, you can't be serious! We can't just leave her here like that!"

"I certainly can, and shall, Dante. If you are unable to resist the foolish inclination to play the hero, by all means do so." Vergil said darkly.

"Trust you to say something like that. I guess that makes our father a fool too, isn't that right, Vergil?" Dante fumed, his voice rising an octave or so. How could Vergil be so callous and uncaring?

"I am vastly overjoyed to see you are finally developing more than a passing interest in our father, whom, I clearly recall you have renounced not too long ago." Vergil said humourlessly.

"Damn it Vergil! That's beside the point. I don't care what father did, but I know that he had honour and balls to stick up for the entire human race. You can't even seem to do that for one human!"

"Honour that overrules common sense and logic is just another definition of foolishness, Dante. Besides, the human in question is a grown woman, and despite her lamentable fighting skills, she is adequately capable of managing on her own."

"I don't understand you, Vergil! Mother was a grown woman too, and a decent fighter on top of that, but that didn't stop her from getting killed"

Vergil's frown deepened at first, at the mention of the mother they had both lost. Anger replaced sorrow, throbbing with a muted ache with every beat of his heart. Eva was a sore point, his Achilles' heel. The hand that casually rested on Yamato's cold, slender hilt clenched restlessly.

"Kindly refrain from sullying _her_ memory. It is evident you can not exercise restraint and contribute anything insightful to our present situation."

"Meaning in English…?"

"Shut up!"

"Thank you." Dante said sternly, and then turned to the demon huntress. "What the…?"

Both silver-haired heads snapped up, Dante following the scorching line of Vergil's blank gaze toward the crevice in the ceiling; through which Lady had disappeared with the aid of the versatile Kalina Ann…one the twins had overlooked in the heat of their dispute.

"Somehow I do not think she will be tremendously upset to leave us behind" Remarked Vergil with half customary sarcasm, half unexpected admiration.

"Damn that was quick!" Dante agreed miserably, preparing to go after her.

Vergil did not move an inch, however. He was familiar with the layout of Temen-ni-Gru, and realized the trapped corridor could possibly be a shortcut to the tower's zenith.

"It seems in addition to common sense, you also lack dignity, Dante, by choosing to follow a woman that stuck a gun in your face and who would not hesitate to do so again. But then, I should not act so surprised at how swiftly your brain ceases to function when you are in the presence of a female." With those words, Vergil charged into the passageway.

Dante gloomily watched him flash through the thrusting blades in a flurry of blue, then with a sigh, darted after his twin, leaving Lady to her fate.

* * *

Lady climbed up and hauled herself up over the rock ledge with a low grunt. While the twins bickered below, she was already in one of the uppermost chambers that were just as bizarrely decorated as the others she had seen so far. She wiped sweat from her face with the back of her hand. 

_Let them kill each other…The sooner the better…They're just demons anyway…Both of them._

An unforeseen stab of pain, a pinprick… –something besides the sting of Vergil's callous words could inflict- startled her. It was a deep, hollow pain akin to the one she had experienced just after her mother had died, and Arkham had betrayed her the second time…

_I don't want him to die…_

Lady could already feel _his_ absence, excruciatingly so.

She tried to console herself with the fact that Vergil was not human, and had the heart of a demon; he embodied everything that opposed the concept of boyfriend material.

_Boyfriend…?_ The very absurdity of the idea made her want to laugh out loud…She frowned suddenly.

Here she was fussing over the demon she had thought she loathed; Arkham must be laughing at her. The unpleasant image was enough motivation for Lady; she took a deep breath, and refused to look back…

* * *

Vergil emerged on the other side of the trapped passageway, Dante a second later, grumbling about the battered state of his trench coat, which was now tattered and shredded in several places. 

"Aww, damn! There goes my coat again. It's enough to make a grown man cry." Dante whined obnoxiously.

"Devils never cry, brother." Vergil remarked tonelessly.

Dante glanced at his brother long and hard with fresh insight, and then smiled nonchalantly.

"I guess devils don't fall in love either." He wriggled his eyebrows.

"What are you prattling on about?"

_What indeed, Dante? Are you actually encouraging your brother to acknowledge his nonexistent feelings for her so you can have just one more excuse to challenge him to a duel? My hero…_

Dante blinked, glancing about suspiciously, trying to determine the source of the mysterious, decidedly feminine and sultry voice.

"Nothing, just making idle convo." He said distractedly.

"I see you too, have developed an odious tendency for excessive chatter." Vergil observed dryly.

"You know what your problem is mate? You're not chatty enough. You gotta get that giant pole out of your arse and let human nature take over for once."

_Don't you mean animal nature? Yes, he's a bit uptight, but who wouldn't be in his situation? What's your excuse, Dante? Are you jealous that he actually scored for once and you didn't? Big deal._

"Man, I'd better to lay off the joint…" Dante murmured warily as the elusive, seductive voice invaded his mind again.

Vergil on the other hand, paid no attention to his annoying younger twin, surveying coldly the colossal dimensions of the room, the giant tunnels dug into the walls, the skeletal seraphs adorned with a sinister smile, towering over the legion of smaller statues of blood-tinged gargoyles perched low and vigilant in various platforms. A marble staircase followed an obsidian trail upwards past the statues, toward the blood hued double doors engraved ornately with a crest of skulls.

The gloom of shadows and solitude seemed to deepen with _her_ departure, the artificial brightness of the blue torch-lights glared into his eyes. There had been no artifice in Lady at all…

"What the…" Dante checked beneath his boots as he trod into something grossly squishy, inspecting the white ooze that clung to the soles of his worn, steel capped boots. "I wonder where this slime's coming from…Speaking of which, I hope that bloody scumbag Arkham's choking on our father's soul." Dante gave his tiwn a sideways glance, then inquired breezily, amused at the oh so familiar shadow of thoughtfulness softening his otherwise frigid features. "Hey earth to Vergil, you listening to me?"

"Unfortunately brother, I am." Vergil said dryly, snapping out of his brief reverie. "As for that bloody scumbag you aptly described, I cannot help but suspect he's well on his way to becoming a demon as we speak." His voice darkened.

"Wow, he must have really pissed you off, you're actually swearing for once." Dante's brows shot upwards.

"What can I say; Lady's a bad influence on manners." Vergil shrugged nonchalantly.

"I would never have guessed." It was Dante's turn to be sarcastic, but his face was bright with glee.

"Don't forget she's got a nasty habit of shooting a guy in the face."

"I've never noticed." Vergil sneered.

"So how come you guys hooked up anyway? Didn't know you were such a flirt Verge."

_Your sleaziness would eventually rub off on him…After all you share the same blood…_

"She provided a worthy sport during our brief association, and that is all I can say about her."

"Is that all you can say about her arse as well?" Dante gave a lewd grin.

Vergil groaned inwardly at his twin's below the waist comment. Funny, it should irritate him, but strangely enough, the aimless chit chat seemed to elevate his spirits. He had actually forgotten momentarily that they were enemies…Dante possessed an unmatched talent for getting under one's skin…

"Dante, I fail to see the relevance of her derriere to this meaningless conversation. I would like to remind you that when I feel inclined to discuss my personal life with you, I shall do so. In the meantime, it would be in your best interest to kindly cease being a pest." Vergil hissed through gritted teeth.

"Geez, bro, say it, don't spray it." Dante said flippantly as he studied the massive throng of gargoyle statues also covered in the same gooey white stuff, blocking the stairs. At the twins' confident approach, the ground shook ominously, high stained glass windows rattling and smaller tremors running through the sturdy marble foundations of the entire section.

"Man, this tower's all fun and games, I'm actually warming up to the place." Dante chuckled.

"I agree Temen-ni-Gru is an excellent venue for choice entertainments." Vergil said as he dodged cascading debris.

In the pandemonium, the grotesque statues shook free of their immobility and suddenly came alive, circling the air and diving toward the half-devils. Dante eagerly whipped out Ebony and Ivory.

"I don't suppose you want to join in, Verge?" Dante smirked cockily as he waved Ebony in Vergil's unimpressed face, knowing full well the only way to neutralize and prevent the blood-goyles from multiplying was the use of firearms.

"In this instance, I am obliged to accept the invitation, brother." Vergil snatched Ebony from Dante's hand, and began to shoot the creatures stunned, Yamato coming down on the frozen statues with vengeance.

"I'm glad to see you haven't entirely lost your sense of fun, Vergil. I'm proud with a capital P!" Dante chortled, Rebellion and Ivory dispatching the wretched creatures efficiently. "Too bad a certain "Lady"s not here to join in the bash."

"I have no doubt she is well entertained, brother. She seems to invite herself to every occasion. She's what you would call a party –crasher." Vergil felt the ripples in the air, the advent of a behemoth sized aberration burrowing its way out of the tunnel, towards its prey…

"Ahh…A lady after my own heart!"

Dante's laughter suddenly disappeared along with his body into the enormous maw of the devouring gigapede that had slid out of one of the massive, slime covered tunnels.

Vergil shrugged to himself as he calmly continued fighting the gargoyle statuary, smiling ever so slightly.

He could almost feel something akin to sympathy for the hapless gigapede…

* * *

Night soared on dark wings all around Temen-ni-Gru, moonlight a ghostly pallor across the decayed tapestry of the city beneath, dotted with twinkling lights, and overhead the sky was black velvet, bejewelled with glimmering stars. 

The pale light bled through the tiny stained glass window on the ceiling, spilling over the unmoving female body clutching a rocket launcher desperately to her breast.

_I am trapped, and this time, there is no way out…_

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing away the pesky tears, trying to figure out what went wrong…

She had been ascending the wide, stone steps leading to the tower's summit, her heart pounding with the bleak task that lay ahead…She had passed through the strange, transparent black portal that undulated at the top of the stairs…So close to that black hearted bastard…so close to finishing him off…

The ground had shattered beneath her, and she had fallen through a pitch black void…

Lady closed her eyes. Tears came unbidden, marring her cheeks. Tears were her only companion…And would remain so indefinitely…

* * *

"De ja vu…" Vergil groaned quietly, eyes flicking open to perfect darkness. This time he had fallen hard, still furious at his impatience to have overlooked the Doppelganger's tenebrous trap. 

Vergil drew himself up, his disoriented gaze scouring the semi darkness ominously. Even his demonic senses took sometime to adjust to the otherwise impenetrable, unnatural blackness of the doppelganger's lair. He was surrounded on all sides by light absorbing onyx marble walls, chrome shutters sealing the windows. Vergil was sure he had read the description of such a chamber in one of the ancient tomes lining the crammed shelves of the Divine Library. The only exit out of this abyssal prison was to defeat the doppelganger…Of the monster itself, there was no sign, which did not bode well, not at all…

He instinctively turned to the faint cascade of moonlight, and the slender body bathed in its spectral illumination. The ebony highlights in her short hair gleamed, her soft, ivory skin took on a heavenly radiance, her knees were drawn up to her chest, her head bent low as if in silent prayer…Next to her lay her rocket launcher. She hadn't seem to notice his presence yet…Buried in her own silence…Or maybe she was injured…

Cursing his curiosity, Vergil approached Lady with quiet steps muffled by the writhing, tangible shadows.

He crouched beside her, his hand reaching out to her face with the lightest of touches, brushing the wayward black locks out of her eyes. Her soft, rhythmic breathing brought some semblance of relief to his harsh, stern features.

Her head lifted up quickly at his faint touch, mis-matched eyes blazing with outrage. He had caught her at her most vulnerable.

He had seen her cry.

Lady sprang to her feet, recoiling from him as though he was plagued. She shivered….Vergil was going to be her undoing…She could not allow it. She would not, she didn't care what it took. She would eventually have to come to grips with the gravity of her situation.

_Why am I longing for his touch still? _

"Where is Dante? Did you kill him? Did you kill your brother?" Her voice rose in anger.

Vergil was unfazed as ever, cool and steady under any kind of pressure.

"It never ceases to astonish me that you are always prepared to assume the worst of me." Vergil said in icy softness.

"You give me no reason to do otherwise!"

"I could gladly provide you with sound reason to alleviate your low opinion and incorrect assumptions of me, but I doubt such an exertion would be worth the effort." Vergil's bitter voice was a whip, cracking across the darkness dangerously.

"I'd like to see you try!" Lady was incensed. Her hands balled to tight fists at her sides.

"I hate to be indelicate, but the question is; how much longer could you bear the indignity of defeat at my hands?"

Tension and anger steadily ticked between the two of them like a bomb about to go off any moment.

And it finally did.

Lady slapped him fiercely across the cold, arrogant, handsome face, and her eyes promptly widened in regret. It was an ugly way of venting her frustration, one that almost bordered on cheating…

She waited tensely for him to draw his katana.

To her utter surprise, silence was all Vergil offered. Moonlight shaded the blue devil eyes to a luminous brilliance, casting one side of his face in resplendent, ephemeral radiance; in vivid contrast with the rest of his face that remained in the dim, sinister refuge of the shadows. Lady fancied that the arresting visage was a reflection of his soul, the human half and the devil half, and not exactly in that order…

_The hallowed light of honour, of goodness and purity of heart tainted by the desolate blackness of his ambitions, his ruthlessness and obsession to acquire more power…But not yet thoroughly corrupted, not like Arkham…_

Restless shadows seemed to writhe, eager to take over the aloof, handsome visage and devour the last shreds of light that so faintly shone through his divine being.

_It is time to pick a side…_

"Vergil…? I did not mean to do that." Lady's stubborn expression softened somewhat.

_What the hell am I doing? Am I actually apologizing to this…demon?_ Lady mused with deep wariness…She was exposing too much of her soul…

Without any warning, Vergil's hand closed tightly, painfully around her wrist. He backed her up against the cold marble wall, the hard length of his body pressed against her softer one. Lady gasped, her fingers instinctively dipping for her guns, but were also pinned against the wall. His muscular thigh slid between her legs, firmly holding her trapped between the wall and his steel-firm body.

She wasn't as composed as she appeared, and Vergil found this oddly gratifying.

"You are a certainly persistent, incessantly aggravating creature, and you would be well advised not to treat me in such an impetuous fashion, ever again."

She was quiet, defiantly so. But she did not struggle or fight against him either. Acute discomfort and acute longing rushed through her, making her feel giddy again, if not shaken…

Neither said a word for a moment that became an eternity, listening to each other's heartbeat and quickening breaths.

"And contrary to your assumptions, I did not kill Dante." When Vergil spoke, it was without sarcasm or cockiness; he was merely stating a fact. His hold on her did not loosen an inch, his body relentlessly crushing hers with shocking intimacy.

Lady leaned into the searing warmth; even as she lifted her delicate chin boldly, her head tossed back proudly.

"Did not, or could not, Vergil?" Lady breathed against his mouth, struggling hard to keep the tremor out of her voice.

The question was an echo of the voice of doubt inside him…

"I fail to see why it would make any difference to you either way." Vergil captured her breath with his own, a whisper that touched her lips with a warm pressure, teasingly, unbearably, cruelly… Vergil leaned in for the kiss, then his head whipped upward suddenly.

"What is it?" Lady demanded, her voice still husky as she too, glanced up, seeing nothing.

A loud thud crashed through the silence, followed by a string of colourful obscenities that would make a Tourette's syndrome patient blush with shame.

"Party-time." Vergil was livid…

* * *

**Well, we're getting close to the final showdown between the twins and the giant blob. -grins- review if you liked this chapter. still not sure about the happy ending..what do you guys think?**  



	8. Paradise Lost Pt 1

* * *

**Wow, has it really been 4 plus years? I believe I owe all of you guys a profound apology for having neglected fanfiction due to unforeseen circumstances for so long. I do not know if any one still reads this story, but I will update Chaos's Warm Embrace weekly rest assured now that I am back- permanently!!! I am honoured and grateful beyond words to so many people who followed this story from the beginning and gave me hope, courage and inspiration with their kind words.**

**All apologies, and thank you for reading. I hope you will leave me with a review and let me know if you want me to continue, because I'd love to bring a long overdue closure to this saga, and as always, all my readers mean the world to me. **

**Enjoy!!!**

**-L

* * *

  
**

Why in the name of the flaming Abyss every time he effectively battered down the carefully erected barriers of the only girl who managed to still hold his interest, his irksome pest of a brother literally materialized out of nowhere, disrupting the rapturous current of the moment?!

Vergil's frosty face registered an expression of sheer annoyance and acute agitation, blue eyes flashing a furtive, fathomless glance at the beautiful huntress frowning next to him.

Correction, Vergil thought, annoyance did not even begin to cover what he felt. Murderous rage was more apt under the circumstances.

Vergil groaned inwardly and silently cursed his ill fate; wondering what he'd done to be constantly bedevilled by his pest of a brother, and bewitched by a girl-crusader who hated him.

_Oh nothing really, just renounced and fatally wounded your twin brother, killed, maimed and destroyed in pursuit of full-fledged Devilhood and dethronement of the Prince of Darkness…_

Over the course of their journey to the tower's summit Vergil's vast patience, self-discipline and coldly serene mental state had been sorely tested, his feelings and his powerful physical nature yanked hither and yon by several annoying and untoward disruptions. Fulfilment had been constantly eluded, cold reason appeased to display hollow facades in denial of the attraction, -no, connection, inexplicable closeness, oneness even- between the Azure Half-Devil and his electrifyingly seductive yet spectacularly clueless huntress.

_His_ huntress?!

Vergil ignored his incapacitated brother and the slithering shadows pooling monstrously about him, and cut his attention back to the girl stuck between the thick marble wall and his equally solid and hard body. Another moment's hesitation would kill the palpable, almost touchable erotic current between Lady and him. Who knew if there would be another opportunity for such closeness, Vergil sensed with an ominous tug in his gut that their time together was drawing close to its conclusion.

_Cursed Dante and his cursed timing!_

_Let him suffer, he can die and be resurrected as Mundus's personal doormat and punch bag as many times as the Dark Prince wishes for all I care at the moment, but I cannot relinquish this human female until I know the extent of her threat to my plans._

_Until I know the extent of her hatred._

_And the extent of her desire._

………..............

"Dante!?" Lady lost prompt interest in the blue Half-Devil who had until this moment held her captive in blue chains of unspoken enthrallment.

Her instincts told him there was something wrong about Dante, but then again that was putting it mildly. Both Half-Devil brothers were the ultimate embodiment of 'wrong' in Lady's opinion, but the last time she had seen Dante this comatose was when Vergil had skewered him on that wicked looking otherworldly blade whose origins bespoke of demoniac legacy.

It wasn't just Dante who exhibited strange behaviour; Vergil's sudden abandon of silk-and razor-smooth icy composure was quite disconcerting. It might have been so much easier to deal with the icy blue serenity that defined Vergil, but Lady was not used to his volatile, angry and agitated moods. When these two brothers got together, their brief, volatile and colourful exchange was followed by a spectacular fight or other testosterone-induced contests of will and strength.

But lately both the rivalry and the faint fraternal bond between the brothers had been altered by a new tension caused by –dare she think it- her very presence!

Maybe it was just as well that Dante was incapacitated and blissfully incapable of aggravating Vergil into further indignation, who was already riled into a devilishly bad temper; Lady could do without another quarrel between the brothers. Vergil would no doubt use this opportunity to skewer his twin a second time.

Was Vergil the kind of dishonourable man who'd strike a man when he was already down and vulnerable?

She didn't know what kind of man Vergil was, only that he was a Devil.

And Devils were not known to play fair.

Even so, the little time they had shared together told her Vergil prized honour and some twisted code of personal integrity which defined him as much as his cold-blooded and ruthless fanaticism did. He would not dishonour himself to take out an already downed opponent. He would instead wait with callous and imperial patience until his opponent got back to his feet and had a sword in his hand. Then, with a uniquely fluid and majestic art of swordplay he would unleash all his Devil might on his opponent until he was well and truly obliterated or be obliterated himself.

Even if his opponent was his twin brother, his own flesh and blood. Vergil's distorted bushido did not recognize friend, foe or family. Only courage, willpower, honour and loyalty to his goals mattered.

_Like a dark samurai…_

Lady stifled a shriek of exasperation.

_Men are such fools! And these two are a special breed –make that half-breed- of boneheads! Both try their best to outdo and outmanoeuvre each other while all they should do is stick with each other as brothers do and finish off this Mundus they keep mentioning! One deluded douchebag has got it in his head that I need protection from the other jackass poser who's so obsessed with becoming a Devil and got his head jammed so firmly up his ass he can't see what's in front of him! _

_What's in front of him, Mary? You, perhaps?_

No, don't even go there, Lady told herself. If she did, she wouldn't be able to stop staring, wanting…

_Breathe, centre your will, focus on something else, something harmless…_

She glanced at the unconscious Dante, thinking it odd the loud and merry twin should still be out for the count, but as she watched, the crimson Half-Devil's eyes opened to groggy slits as he recovered from his paralysis and surveyed the room blearily, moaning in apparent agony.

Lady took a speculative step forward.

And slammed straight into Vergil who was blocking her path.

Too outraged to react properly, she had hardly any time, space or inclination to think at all once she was suddenly jammed between the hard wall and Vergil's powerful, uncompromising, muscle-solid body which was as hard as the said wall she was mercilessly crushed against. He held her as though he was about to ravish her and annihilate her at the same time. Even though his seraphically gorgeous face remained icily remote and dispassionate to the point of resembling a scowling alabaster statue, his eyes were blazing in deep, dark blue frenzy, some strange and unknowable emotion flaring dangerously in their depths.

Staring into those Blue Devil eyes was akin to standing in the heart of a violent tempest; despite being in the centre of his frosty rage and aggression, Lady knew almost instantly she would not be its recipient. Vergil would always direct it back into himself rather than strike her in his wrath.

If she wasn't stuck between the two immovable objects, Lady would have either slammed her knuckles or her scarlet boot –or preferably both- into that sublimely handsome face or just legged it hardcore.

"I did not say you could move just yet." Vergil snarled in her ear softly, sibilantly, provocatively, although his face was a chunk of iceberg; hard, cold and unyielding.

…………..............................

When he detected Dante's presence even before his twin was roughly hurled through the seething, Hadean shadows, plunged through the gleaming jet black ceiling and crashed to the floor with a bone-crunching thud, Vergil was effectively spurred into action, guided by his instincts that left no room for reason and logic.

His hand impulsively clenched around Lady's sylphlike ivory neck as though testing the delicate strength of her bones and the madly pulsing veins underneath that inferior human skin. His royal-blue eyes were nailed into hers with a singular interest, probing deep beneath that solid aura of emotional armour and defiant hatred. His upper lip curled at the corner with contemptuous deliberation.

Out of the corner of his eye, Vergil could clearly see the inelegantly sprawled and disoriented form of Dante on the floor half-cursing, half groaning in furious pain before passing out again.

About time, Vergil thought.

………….

The dark, deep and majestic voice froze Lady instantly with stark shock contorting her sweat-glistening face. She refused to be alarmed by the glacial menace the serene silk of the regal voice only a Devil or Seraph could ever possess, and summoning all her courage, Lady lifted her head proudly and confronted the pure, arrogant embodiment of all her vexations and temptations.

Vergil could expertly manipulate even the most primal beast to his whim at a slight dip or soar of his darkly divine, opulent voice that could sound like an exquisite caress or a cracking whiplash.

She froze up, but inside began to melt hotly, nerve endings fluttering with anticipation and anger. A full moment passed before she could speak.

"If you don't let go of me this second, I swear on my mother's name you will regret it, Vergil!" Lady hissed sharply, chillingly, even though she was paralysed by his seemingly infinite and suffocating strength holding her perfectly still against the wall.

_Two can play this game, you watch Devil-beast, dog of Sparda!_

The satisfaction of slapping his cocky, gorgeous face had been short-lived, transient and not much of a payback when Lady reflected on it. Regret had crept into her features, and Vergil had seen her remorse as clearly as he had seen her cascade of tears.

_Damn and double damn!_

"So, Lady, I see you are still bent on harassing me with your overzealous drivel of feminist drama. Of course, this gives me great grievance just when I thought a moment ago you were making adequate progress toward complaisance." Vergil kept his silky deep voice deliberately gruff, injecting it with a low growl of sarcasm and slowly teasing edge, watching her eyes widen in outrage.

The scarlet heat of her hatred hit Vergil like a firestorm, instantly engulfing him in molten flames, bringing him an oddly twisted satisfaction.

Bringing him to life.

Vergil not only admired her gritty resolve and stubborn defiance, but also her unique capacity to bring him alive with so much rage and passion that had been safely hidden away deep inside him to the point he had forgotten he had ever possessed the said violent emotions at all.

"Complaisance!!!" Lady choked on the word, the fierce, tumultuous glitter in her eyes turned murderous as she struggled against the crushing, devastating strength of his steel-solid body pinning her effortlessly to the wall. And each desperate attempt at freeing herself from his firm hold pressed her even closer into him, making her painfully aware of the sleek, immeasurable power of his muscles and prominent maleness. Her fingernails itched to dig into his smooth skin and draw blood.

_How can I fight him when I can't even fight my own body's stupid weaknesses?_

"That is correct. After all, your kind exists to serve mine. You might not do a very enthusiastic job of it, but the least you can do is acknowledge my dominance, shut up and get over it." Vergil snapped softly, irritably, battling to control his own violent agitation.

Aware of nothing but Vergil's greater strength imprisoning and rendering her body immobile, Lady twisted her head to sink her teeth into his neck, his jugular even, to show him she was not afraid even in this debilitated state, that she would rather die than be bullied into submission!

Vergil's mouth twisted in grim amusement at her pathetic efforts. More disconcertingly so, Lady's soft, tightly slender length was writhing against him, tormenting his flesh the only way she knew how. His electric blue eyes slitted in sardonic mirth as he clamped his arm possessively around her slender waist, daring her to fight him with all she had.

"I've got news for you, you disgusting, vile, devil swine- my kind exists to obliterate yours!" Lady raged. "And if you had a fraction of decency, you would release me and fight me like a man!!!" She had to do something, say anything, to distract herself from the disturbing direction of her thoughts, and gain the strength to tug her wrist free from his hold, and her body from the prison of his tall, tightly muscled frame.

"I can see there is no way to dissuade you from your impetuous, brash and impertinent attitude, so I will enlighten you on one point, Lady. I am no man. I am a Devil- first and foremost. Even so, if I did not have the decency you accused me of lacking, you would not be standing right now. You would be on the ground, like that imbecilic brother of mine, beaten and tortured senseless until all courage and dignity knocked out of you, writhing in agony and begging for release in death."

"I guess you're expecting me to kneel and kiss your feet in gratitude for such magnanimous mercy, oh almighty Devil-Lord!" Lady grimaced harshly, driven to boiling point, still trying to squirm free from his steely grip.

Vergil's silver-winged brows lifted in a sardonic, mocking amusement.

_Way to go, Mary, you twit! Those were not exactly the right choice of words, damn it all to hell and back, I am floundering and blundering badly! _

"Not the most tempting offer I've ever had, but I suppose that kind of humble display of proper supplication may be a bit more conducive to your future wellbeing. If you can carry it out with less nonsensical chatter the better." His voice went softer, colder, silkier.

No, the Devil-dog was not going to get away with so many insults, not this time!

………….................

With every infuriating interruption, Heaven's sweet, seductive bliss continued to elude the Half-Devil who strangely, secretly found himself longing for it.

Longing for the Heaven in Lady's touch…

The moments leading up to the said infernal interruption however had been torture to say the least. The maddening collision of their bodies when he crushed her against the wall nearly undid him! The girl was making his blood boil!

No damsel in distress, she! But rather a rare, refined specimen, a very aggravating specimen; brash, brazen, sassy, opinionated, wilful and rude, not his usual type at all.

Did he even have a usual type? Elegant, classy, self-possessed, polite, dignified and strong would probably fit the description of his ideal woman if he ever were to for some reason go for one. Lady…

The impertinent girl had flung the word chauvinistic in Vergil's face on more than one occasion, with or without meaning to. Hell, if he showed an imperious disposition to the world, it was only because it was true on account of his royal Devil blood, he was strong, powerful and superior. To deny he was not would mean lying to himself and to the rest of the world. Vergil had proven his physical, mental and emotional superiority numerous times, and he needed no approval from the inferior race.

Certainly not from her!

He hardly ever thought about the fairer sex except as a means to an end when it suited him, even then Vergil had exceedingly limited patience with females. Females were an inexplicable enigma, but more so than that they were bothersome obstacles; overemotional, clingy, fretful, easily frightened or seduced into submission.

In truth, Vergil had great regard for the female sex, but not for those who were disrespectful and discourteous. Especially not for those who, for some imbecilic reason thought they could dominate and manipulate him, either with tears or with guns.

It didn't make sense; his lingering attraction and powerful desire did not make any infernal sense!

Vergil told himself it was the culmination of adrenaline that pumped through his body like a potent drug from being so close to death all the time, coupled with the blatant lack of physical intimacy with a woman for so long that made him so acutely aware of every single nuance about Lady's strong and bewitching physicality, and respond to it with all his body, all the damn way, all the damn time.

Even a Half-Devil unfortunately could not deny his male body's longing for a physical release and satisfaction besides that of fighting and killing could ever bring.

The fact that he was thinking and reacting like a common male with common male lusts ticked him off more than anything when he realized he was making all sorts of excuses to touch her.

He had just realized his fingers had tangled in her silky raven's wing hair, holding her head back so she could stare into his face.

He could not stop thinking about her, wanting her.

Vergil's thoughts took on a furious edge. How dare she make him feel this way! How dare she push him so close to losing his steel-and-ice-hard control?

How dare she invade his thoughts and penetrate his legendary apathy?

How dare she entice his appetite for something he thought he didn't need, and stoke the deadened embers of his passion for myriad bothersome, pathetic and trivial aspects human life; like laughter and companionship.

Like reading his favourite book and sipping his favourite wine.

Like lying in the cool park grass and watching the balmy wind rustle through the trees and moon slide across the sky with Lady nestled close into his body, her soft hand linked with his, her ebony head resting on his shoulder…

Vergil studied her briefly with a new sense of breathless revelation; maybe he should just kill her right here, right now and save himself a major headache later on.

Before carrying out his cold blooded decision, Vergil gave her one last survey.

…………...............

Lady was striking, vibrant and very lovely, pulsing with yet there was a certain tinge of delicate fragility beneath that solid aura of mental and emotional armour.

Her eyes were her most extraordinary feature nevertheless; a very bright and pure brown-amber and spring sky-blue, forthright with sincerity and insatiable curiosity, untainted by the shadows of lies and deception. Those eyes were remarkably lovely, long ebony-lashed and shimmering with lighter flecks like a dusting of gold glitter caught in a piece of lambent amber and electric blue. Her clear gaze was inquisitive, her eyes spoke too much as did her pouting lips; reflecting her entire soul, of unsullied innocence still present; a peculiar phenomena in an adult female.

Vergil felt his own body reluctantly, but instinctively harden with peculiar yearning that had long remained dormant, muscles clench in tension, and his hands clutch tighter at her lower back. What would it be like to possess her receptive softness and gentle warmth? No, he chided himself sternly; such notions were out of the question. It was not only his obsession with ascension to his rightful throne of power that prevented Vergil from indulging in such fancies, but Lady's weaker, inferior blood. Even so, his body did not seem to find her nearness off-putting at all. What bothered him the most was not his body's reaction, but a deeper, more intense bond beyond the physicality that drew him to her.

_No, do not even go there at all…_

She was still watching him with those extraordinarily bright and large blue-brown eyes of hers. Her milk-and-lily skin glowed with a rose-pink flush all over, sensually accentuating her delicate cheekbones, and the smooth skin exposed by the open collar of her clinging shirt which sensuously moulded to her tight and slender frame. Particularly to her high, full breasts. Vergil clenched his teeth tighter, compressing his lips to a feral line as he continued his masculine appraisal of her. His turbulent and intense blue gaze however had to be regretfully diverted from that siren-call of her chest area, or Vergil was certain he would expire from spontaneous combustion. His half-gauntleted fingers dug sharply into his fists, drawing blood, but Vergil brushed aside the brief, feather-soft flicker of pain, which was completely insignificant in comparison with the agony of his agitation, self-disgust and damnable lust for the girl.

He forced himself to be more fastidious, his impeccable sense of aesthetic to highlight the human flaws and unsightliness in her.

Frankly, her coral lips appeared too round and too full for her face, her eyes too large, but they gave her an endearing, pixie-like appeal. Her features were not kittenishly formed, but were highly expressive, prone to imminent animation, ready to bloom into an impish smile or twist into an irate frown.

No, that's not what he meant by being nitpicky!

Paradoxically, he was caught in his own damnable quandary; dispatching her seemed like the easiest and most sensible thing to do, but doing so would diminish and snuff something inside him. Probably the last remnants of his human half and conscience.

His soul.

_Good!_

With reluctance, Vergil cut his attention back to her heart-shaped, delicate-boned face.

Her full and round lips were the very definition of a red candy apple, parted slightly and glistening as she licked them with a self-conscious little frown. As he looked at her quite openly, blatantly checking her out, her pupils dilated, shadowing her bi-coloured irises. Vergil could practically hear her heartbeat picking up in nervous cadence, thrumming with an emotion that obviously embarrassed her.

Vergil was aware of the smallest details that made up the piquantly heart-shaped face, the slightest nuances that flickered in her expression. He suddenly wanted to get closer and inspect her like an enthusiastic butterfly collector who had just caught a particularly rare and exquisite specimen in his net.

At that moment, she chose to avert those wonderfully unique and lovely eyes, shyly duck her head and look away in anger, chewing on her bottom lip. The gesture aroused his curiosity, and Vergil immediately did what just came to him naturally. He captured her chin in his fingers and turned her face to his gradually so as not to alarm and agitate her.

Aroused, was the word indeed for him, he thought wryly. That slow turn of her head and the shy, wary excitement that glittered in her eyes and made her soft mouth part on a tremble ever so slightly like that was so intensely erotic that Vergil realized he was breathing heavily, his body hardening so fast it was beginning to ache like it had never ached for anyone so strongly before.

He had not felt such an instant reaction before in his life, ever, with any female, foe or otherwise. The exquisite blue-brown butterfly fluttered frantically beneath the glass lens, desperately fighting against captivity, refusing to give in, defiant and proud like a queen. Vergil felt a savage, utterly devilish satisfaction in distressing such a precious and beautiful creature, his blood alight with the urge to tear her bravado and pride asunder, forcing her on her knees in front of him in humble acknowledgement of his regal, mental and physical superiority.

Why then, was he continuously bothered by a nagging, imbecilic need to cherish and protect her?

Contradicting emotions churned in his very soul, perplexing him even. He who had never been afraid of anything in life was suddenly afraid of his own feelings, afraid of hurting her.

_And I was so ready to bury Yamato deep into her heart, watch her choke on her lifeblood._

Was there anyway for the obsessed collector to make his dazzlingly lovely butterfly trust him not to hurt her?

Vergil told himself as a superior, powerful entity on the brink of godhead he had every right to hurt, manipulate and misuse a lesser being's feelings like a puppeteer on the verge of a new discovery with a brand new marionette.

No, he shook his head grimly; to do so would reduce him to the level of the animal, diabolical lot he zealously eliminated on the path to glory. But oh, such vicious, vile thrill the very notion induced in him like exquisite, forbidden ambrosia. What sweet satisfaction her seduction promised and Lady was the unknowing catalyst for that unrighteous urge!

Better to put her down now before he caused her any further indignity. Human or no, she had earned that right.

His body did not seem to obey that particular line of thought however, worsening his saturnine mood.

Lady, despite all her reckless bravado, strength and willpower she was ripe for his seduction, unwittingly offering herself up to the altar of his nefarious desires.

His face hovered over hers, a bittersweet invasion of senses and a closeness felt with each beating of heart that became a restless, anxious drum. Vergil, with his supernaturally acute Devil hearing, could hear Lady's fluttering heartbeat quickening with the slow tilt of his brow down to hers. Anticipation uncoiled, seized and demanded, building up with each excruciatingly passing moment. Eyes were locked, breaths unfurling warmly, hair standing on end and skin sparkling rosily with newfound desire from the tortuous proximity of bodies longing to fuse in a paroxysm of passion. Vergil's mouth lowered to trace a blazing path across hers, to imprint his ruthless vengeance on her very flesh…

No matter what happens, she must not be alerted to his true intention…

……………..

Lady's lips parted and sought Vergil's in stunned silence, mistaking his cold, devious intent for mutual ardour. He had caught her crying, but he did not ridicule her. Maybe the azure Half-Devil was learning to accept his human half for a change. Drawing confidence from that small crumb of awareness, Lady leaned closer into him. It was more than pure instinct that guided her. Her lips parted in uncharacteristic obedience as Vergil bent over her, so close…closer...

Lady's whole world had just gone off its axis, tipping her common sense over the edge into oblivion. A legion of sensations whirled through her, setting alight her nerve endings with promises of the very wild pleasure she had only glimpsed in dreams and in sweeping, torrid sagas.

Vergil was going to kiss her!

This powerful, heart-shatteringly handsome Half-Devil she was sworn to hate forever was going to give Lady her first taste of lover's kiss!

Lady could not detach herself from Vergil even if she wanted to; he had pinned her too tightly, too thoroughly against him.

She gave out a soft, inaudible breath as she felt him grow even more solid and hard against her when he slid his beige leather-gloved hand over her nape, angling her head for his kiss, his whole body poised like a steel lance, breathtakingly, heavily pronounced, sculpted on a dauntingly mighty scale, ready to impale and plunder.

Lady's entire being plunged into a sweet turmoil of unknown sensations, a hot, hidden spring within her was set loose, flowed into her lower body and coiled there, suffusing her every inch of her skin with a warm flush, her wanton need like a merciless battalion tearing down the ramparts of her common sense.

All she wanted in that instant was to be dominated by Vergil; to yield to his cruel affection and in turn be set wholly free by his complete possession. She needed Vergil against her, towering over her nakedness, between the cradle of her thighs, pounding inside her deepest core, running her through on his violent lust until the Elysian ecstasy was theirs…

_NO!!! Snap out of it!!! If I go through with this now, I will never be able to defeat him!_

_For his is the path of Devils, and I cannot walk that path with him._

_But I cannot let him go all by himself either!_

_Oh God…_

_But, what if I was to pretend to kiss him and catch him off guard, and finish him off that way? If I wriggle this way a little more, I can reach for my hunting knife, and stab it into his heart. When he's down and disoriented, I will take him out with Kalina Ann if he shapeshifts into his Devil form._

_All settled then._

_Onwards, Lady, before I lose my nerve._

_But I need at least a minute to adjust myself to the idea of slaying him in cold blood._

_And kissing him._

_I have to focus, and distract him somehow….And who's the best personification of all distractions in the world?_

"What is wrong with Dante? I am surprised you haven't made short work of him yet, given your animosity towards each other. Or have you lost your nerve yet again, Vergil?" She asked with a slow, grave smile.

…………..................

"Why is it that I find myself endlessly vexed and harassed by your tedious inquiries about my brother's wellbeing at every turn? If am to believe that you are so pathetically desirous of his company over mine, then could you please kindly care to explain why you insist on teasing me?"

While his resonant voice abruptly awoke and stimulated all her senses in a sudden torrent of pleasure she continually tried to hide from him, his words made no sense at all to Lady.

_She_ was teasing him? _Get real!_

The voice didn't shock Lady as much as the imposingly tall and broad Half-Devil's face submerged in the artificial light when he forced her back til she had to grab onto his shoulders to steady herself or fall.

Her legs parted to make room for his tall, steel-strong body as he boldly stepped between them in order to crush her tighter into his chest and his thighs.

_Oh Lord…_

Her words dissolved into a sudden gasp when she found herself in the most compromising position.

It nearly killed her, being the target of the fierce, yet deceptively serene gaze of an entity so magnificent and resplendent in male beauty that no human effort could even come close to sufficiently describing his deific grandeur or the exquisite palette of his lustrous royal-blue eyes and his brilliant silver-gilded pale hair stylishly slicked back from his broad forehead.

It was equally impossible to escape the trance of his dark dominance and quietly aggressive and forceful presence that stunned Lady with an overload of ecstasy and deep elation. The half-whispered, venerated accounts of the higher rank Devil Lords' impossibly strong, stunningly handsome, tall and assertive presence could not do justice to the ultimate perfection before her eyes.

And between her legs.

"You scum of the earth! You're deranged, you know that?"

Hotter than Inferno, that's what she was. Vergil could not believe he forced them both into this compromising position.

But the impulse to possess her in ways that would paralyse a human's mind was all he could think of, preventing him from untangling himself from her.

"Do you think by teasing and seducing me you can avert me from my true path?" He lowered his mouth to her ear, then over to her neck, grazing his sharp teeth slowly over her soft skin.

He heard her throaty, husky moan, felt her knees instinctively lift and her silken slender legs wrap around his waist.

Vergil's eyes suddenly narrowed to hard, accusing Arctic blue slits even as his lips and bared teeth lingered on the corner of her mouth. "If that is the case, you might want to consider applying a little more enthusiasm into your frigid efforts."

"I-am-not-frigid!!!"

Thought-tangled and tongue tied, Lady could not believe how easily she had set herself up for that one.

The nerve!!! Lady fumed; how dare the Devil swine accuse her of seducing him in order to stop him from following his diabolic ambitions!!! The bastard was toxic for her temper, but vital for her existence.

If the shockingly intimate position was not debilitating enough, her body tensed up with uncontrollable little shivers that made her rub against him. Her nipples tautened painfully through her white bra and shirt.

In response to her chaotic, sexual curiosity, Vergil shot a hand to her chest and cupped a firm, aching breast, all the while holding her gaze with his restraining, mesmerizing hellfire blue one, his face maintaining its poker expression except for the barest twitch of his upper lip faintly curling in a sadistic snarl.

What was happening?! She was rapidly losing the will to move, to retaliate, to think as she clung to the Devil-man she was sworn to loathe and sworn to kill. His cool ice-blue male scent, his musky warmth, his masterful, possessive touch pulsed all around her and lured her as a predator's scent lures prey.

"Frankly, you will be whatever I say you are, for your pathetic kind exists to serve me, please me and pleasure me." Vergil's deep voice dipped lower, darker and huskier with each word.

"Fuck you!!!" Lady grated furiously, panting harshly, nearly sinking her nails into his shoulder through her own black glove and his blue leather trench, entwining the fingers of her free hand into his brilliant silver hair.

"What was that, my little slave? Speak up, woman!" Vergil growled sexily into her ear, his hands leaving her breast to snake around her narrow waist, his muscle-steeled thighs parting her legs even wider.

Lady was about to say something, but her words melted away when Vergil's voice excited her beyond anything, and she whimpered –whimpered!-, feeling tears prickle her eyes with her need.

Suddenly, Vergil's probing tongue and lips were gliding with a sinuous grace over her neck. Lady responded with a slight backward tilt of her neck and semi-closing her jet lashes, letting Vergil move his lips in an upward stroke of damp kisses, lingering on her chin, and the corner of her mouth finally.

"I am not your slave!!! I'll put you to death yet, you abominable, conceited fuckwit!!!"

…………..........

Enough was enough!

All words and all thoughts melted into insignificance, and there was only the deep awareness of their instant, inexplicable physical bond. Vergil was taken aback by the soul binding intensity of his need for Lady even beyond the physical proximity, and even though he should not. But his embrace now was enslavement before the execution, a one final wish, a reflection of his addiction for her nearness.

As though in the world of humans as potential mates, she was the only female who could make him feel like a true king, the only creature who could provide him with absolute spiritual and physical fulfilment and completion.

Lady was a siren-like provocation to all his senses, and what Vergil did next was an instinct that overrode all hesitation and erased all coherent reason. It was, he realized, also something he had been desperately wanting to do since he'd ever set eyes on her.

Even as the thick blackness of the shadows in the room intensified to abyssal density and extended like the tentacles of a great stygian monster about them all, Vergil could only think of showing her the meaning of true Devil passion.

It was now or never.

"If you are not my slave and I not your master, then why are you trembling in my arms and clinging to me with all you have got, obediently awaiting my kiss?

Vergil didn't bother to wait for her reply.

He simply crashed her against the wall, roughly sank his fingers into her short, silky ebony hair, and cruelly pulled her head back with a single jerk, and hotly, brutally crushed her mouth with sealing, punishing kiss.

…………….

_Oh God…I just died and awoke in Heaven…_

Lady was sinking and soaring at the same time. She was plunging fast, spiralling headlong into an abyss of dark, opulent, wild sensuality and euphoria, riding the hot rush of an adrenalin overload the instant Vergil pressed his lips to hers with a powerful aggression. Her body shook with wild cataclysmic tremors as it first rejected him with her fists struck out blindly for a brief, evanescent moment, then clung to the powerfully strong expanse of his broad shoulders in surrender as he increased the merciless pressure of his lips on hers, hungrily plundering, firmly tasting, completely possessing.

Completely unprepared, not knowing how to respond to a first kiss initiated by a stunningly magnificent male of the both human and devil species, Lady was unable to react for a few seconds except close her eyes, her body rendered frozen by the unreal situation. But Vergil was massaging over the nape of her neck with slow, confident fingers, his sculpted mouth coaxing her stiff lips open with amazing gentleness. His lips were so tender, but so insistent on hers, rich with a male aroma akin to cinnamon and pomegranates, dark bitter chocolate melted over with black cherry sauce and decadent caramel.

He was a Devil for Heaven's sake, not Devil's Food!

To hell with her vengeance, she needed this more than she ever needed anything.

Lady closed her eyes and opened her mouth to his to absorb more of his divine taste.

She felt like a soul who had wandered without any real aim or purpose and avoided any so called male temptation for sixteen years suddenly finding the plentiful, majestic, lush and secret Garden of Eden. It was like overindulging on every possible decadence even though it was only a meagre fraction of what could happen between them, a melting, voluptuous, gorgeous sensation that cascaded over her like molten honey; sweet, sticky and stimulating.

That's how Lady would always remember her first kiss.

She made a soft sound of appreciative whimper in her throat, and Vergil pulled back so suddenly that Lady collapsed like a rag doll and tumbled to the floor on her knees, leaving her stunned, speechless and completely, utterly turned on.

………………….

What just happened, Vergil asked himself with a livid frown.

What the hell had he just done? Kissing Lady had felt so good, so right that he wanted to do it again. He wanted to do so much more.

Her delicate but potent taste of spicy vanilla and cream-drizzled strawberries still tingled on his tongue, making him acutely more frustrated and obsessed by the second. It was a taste he could get addicted to, one that induced the most severe cravings. Vergil would gladly suffer the pangs of these infernal cravings if only he could be assured that the object of his addiction felt the same for him; he wanted her responsive, eager and willing too.

_What for Vergil? You were going to execute her, remember?_

_What a wretched fool I've been on more than account; not only I've momentarily strayed from my true objective, I have also misinterpreted her anger and hatred for suppressed infatuation and sexual attraction._

_Her body may want mine deep inside her, but even deeper inside she truly despises me, hates me._

_I would rather die a thousand deaths at Mundus's hand than take her in hatred._

Vergil raked his fingers through his mussed moon-silver hair, flattening the thick, smooth strands dishevelled by Lady's fervour.

Unfortunately he could see that he was overwhelming her. Pity, he thought with cynical amusement, he had thought she was stronger than this. If one kiss had the power to incapacitate her to speechlessness, then how would she handle his full, unbridled Devil Passion once he got her naked and writhing under him?

Angrily remembering her complete bafflement and discomfiture, he held himself back this time. The rejection nearly unravelled him. He had registered shock in her beautiful bi-shaded eyes, sensed the tremor of unease in her soft body, felt her small moan of terror and protest flow through her mouth straight into his.

It was then he had found enough common sense to withdraw.

What were you expecting; he brooded, that she would fall straight into your arms?

Lady was not that kind of a butterfly.

They were virtually strangers with nothing in common except vengeance. She despised his guts let alone entertain thoughts of him as a potential lover.

It was the typical excuse girls always gave him once they recovered from the shock of his unearthly looks and he'd crossed the line of intimacy with them. It was one of the catalysts that made him retreat icily into himself and isolate himself from the rest of the world.

They said with worshipful adoration that he was the perfect model Caravaggio and Michelangelo would have sold their souls to paint and sculpt.

They also said he was too intense, too obsessive, too possessive, too overwhelming.

In the end, they'd said his perfect male pulchritude was not worth the hassle to put up with his intense personality and passionate, brooding nature.

Vergil had long ago given up on finding the only woman who would accommodate his dark ambitions and even darker tendencies in the boudoir.

He sternly dismissed the memories of past lovers that involuntarily resurfaced in his mind.

With an unpleasant history of a bevy of short-term girlfriends, and in pursuit of ultimate ascension to his birthright, Vergil had decided around the same time he'd left home and Dante to adopt a strict celibacy, and for a while enjoyed it too. No need to drag another unfortunate girl into his destructive orbit, he had shrugged to himself. His will was tempered to the inflexibility of icy steel, he could easily suppress his physical needs if he so chose.

He had been so convinced of his invulnerability, so confident in his ability to ignore base male urges.

So damn arrogant to think he could stand in the heart of the firestorm and ignore the flames.

Until he met her.

Lady…

Her fire was vital to his entire being, but fatal too.

Lady had nothing in common with the girls in his past. There was a strangely, irresistible aura of untouched innocence to her beneath the armour of molten fire, a deeply enticing forlorn mystery behind her exquisite eyes.

_I must have completely lost my senses! _

They were destined to be enemies, not lovers!

_What a laughable, blundering halfwit I've been to have seen something that was not there, to be guided by mere illusion. _

_Congratulations, Vergil, now that you've had your first taste of female rejection, you finally know what it feels like to lose. _

_As Dante would have said; it well and truly blows._

The tart had probably been fantasizing about his brother when he had kissed her!

His royal-blue eyes hardened with an arctic chill, his mouth, still faintly pulsing with a teasing trace of her sweet essence, thinned to a grim line.

Had he misread all the signs and misinterpreted the restlessness bubbling just beneath her beautiful ivory skin as sensual tension and attraction for him?

Vergil ground his teeth together in increasing self-contempt; he; the royal, powerful Half-Devil son of majestic Sparda had acted like a sleazy teenager coming to grips with the myriad sexual awakenings of his adolescence. Well, he was a teenager, but that was no excuse for his appalling behaviour and immaturity.

Offering no apology or explanation of any sort, Vergil leaned back against the wall and willed the erotic agitation that achingly hardened his body to go away.

He completely ignored his brother, ignored even the demoniac, stygian black silhouette of the Doppelganger that was creeping stealthily behind Dante, and stared rigidly at a blank spot on the wall, waiting for her rebuke.

As the suffocating, tenebrous darkness rose all around them, all Vergil wanted was to crush her to the wall again and kiss her senseless, lose himself in the vanilla-swirled strawberry moistness until she learned to see past her hatred, accept his Devil nature and love him back with the same fervency.

_Love, Vergil?!? _

_I think I'd rather face Mundus than subject myself to further disgrace._

_I would rather confront the hate in the eyes of Devil Emperor than hers. _

_I would rather have my own sword buried deep in my chest than admit to her what I am about to admit to myself._

He ground his teeth in chilling fury and frustration, dismissing his absurd thoughts.

But his heart would not be dismissed as easily.

_Because…_

_I think I…_

Vergil was dead still, shocked to the core by his own reasoning.

_I have fallen…_

_I have fallen in love with her._

………………..

One second she had been entangled in his embrace, her legs coiled around his waist, her arm snaked demandingly around his neck.

The next he pulled away and removed his hands and his steadying touch, and severed the physical connection so fast Lady sank to the floor gracelessly, falling to her knees.

Her fingers fluttering to her throbbing lips, Lady blinked a couple of times, wondering if she did something wrong and repulsive for Vergil to disengage from her just as abruptly he had kissed her.

His kiss had stunned her, left her gaping for breath, so she just sat there. Where his magnificent lips had been a moment ago was now slick with dew, exposed to the cool air of the shadow-doused room, strangely deprived and yearning for more.

For a second, unrelieved black of the shadows subsided and gave way to an indigo haze luminously pulsing like a heartbeat around Vergil, moonlight flowing through the windows relieving the otherwise impenetrable darkness of the star-dappled heavens and that of the tower.

Vergil Sparda was radiant, luminescent against the lesser lunar light, his alabaster skin glistening softly with a magnificent, deceptively Seraphic incandescence, his slicked-back silver-platinum hair shining lustrously, his Royal-Blue eyes gleaming with Heaven's own hallowed light.

Tears sprung involuntarily in her eyes, for the sight of him caught and suspended in that amazing, miraculous moment was a benediction to her soul, purifying all doubt and pain that ever troubled her spirit.

Vergil was truly made for the night. He outshone the moon itself, and his person was brighter to Lady than that of any light. Lady licked her lips and swallowed hard.

Vergil was staring straight ahead, stonily silent and unforthcoming. She ought to say something, Lady thought, preferably something smartass to jolt him from his grim mood, anything really, to ease the major awkwardness between them, but her mind was blank. It had gone blank from the first moment his lips had touched hers.

Lady acknowledged this was one of those moments where you could go in either direction and suffer spectacular consequences no matter what. She had to choose quickly. Okay, so she was completely inexperienced, and probably it was her obvious inexperience that put him off, or maybe he was just being a gentleman.

_Yeah right!!!_

_But…why not? Hasn't he treated me with gentlemanly nobility all along, and saved my life into the bargain? I just had my first kiss and I klutzed it up. _

_Well done, Lady…_

Did he regret the kiss?

Tough! Lady thought, he had started it! And she would finish it.

If he found her clumsy advances repulsive and unwelcome, he would definitely let her know, oh yes, Vergil was that kind of guy. Maybe he had already let her know and she was too embroiled in his seductive, burning ice to see past her delusions.

She had to cross the threshold and step –no, jump blindly- willingly into the abyss of his overwhelming, larger than life layers of personality and pull him back from the underworld of his black melancholy and wrench him back to safety.

_He is not evil, really, just an overambitious, ruthless, merciless, and cold-blooded Half-Devil. 'Half' being the operative word. _

He was also half-human, which shone through with aching tenderness at the oddest, most unexpected times.

Do I kill him now or do I harangue him for doing what he did?

Suddenly, the solution was crystal-clear. Lady was not known to have ever backed down from a challenge!

However, swallowing her pride was a first.

Lady decided to seize the opportunity of his distraction regardless of the looming unpleasant, irreversible consequences.

Lady made up her mind to act now, and repent later. She did not even hear or see Dante awakening from his coma and struggling to his feet, cursing and unsheathing Rebellion.

_Now or never, Lady…This has to be done._

Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she rose to her feet and advanced on Vergil with grim determination while the world around them spun into an opaque web of stygian darkness by the Doppelganger's black magic.

………………

Vergil sighed inwardly at Dante's insistence for firearms, reaching for his trusted Yamato at his side and preparing to charge into the fray as the Doppelganger detached itself from the nebulous core of the shadows. It wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway. Even the thrill of battle did not alleviate his dark brooding, and Vergil constantly found himself thinking about the weakness he had just displayed to the girl who jumped back to her feet where he'd left her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her walk toward him like a beautiful, terrible, avenging angel...a faery queen from a long forgotten verse...

….Le Belle Dame Sans Merci…

_'Ah, what can ail thee, wretched wight,  
Alone and palely loitering…?'_

He had to stop thinking right now.

Thinking about the warmth and sweetness of her mouth…

Thinking about what her slender, lithe legs coiled about his waist…

_Damn it man, get a hold of yourself!_

His head automatically whipped towards her when he saw her reaching for him.

Vergil had resigned himself to the worst possible outcome, grimly anticipating Lady to shove her guns in his face. Maybe she would slap him or pretend the kiss had never happened.

_It doesn't matter._

_It is time._

…………………

He had certainly not been expecting this!

Vergil inhaled swiftly and sharply as Lady grabbed the lapels of his blue leather trench coat, raised herself on tiptoes and bring her lips to his in a crushing kiss.

He had expected her blazing fury in the form of another slap or her Kalina Ann's cold sharp kiss instead in his face.

Vergil was not expecting Lady to actually reach out of her own accord and kiss him back! Her hand was so gentle and cool on his burning cheek, her lips so soft and so full, grinding into his with the kind of shy urgency and frantic eagerness to make up for the obvious inexperience.

Vergil had known instantly that Lady had never kissed a man before, and the knowledge set his blood on fire with feelings of tenderness, protectiveness, possession and male satisfaction.

Surprise and victory soared through Vergil, Lady was so responsive and so enthusiastic contrary to his earlier assumption that she forgot how to breathe.

He had been wrong in his assumption that she didn't want him. His paranoia had been working overtime as Dante would have smugly pointed out if he were privy to his thoughts.

It wouldn't be the first time he thought wryly. Determined to make the experience of her first kiss –no, make that her second kiss- unforgettable and wondrous, Vergil gathered all his expertise and projected all his searing desire for her into her lips…

Vergil pushed her against the wall once again and mercilessly coaxed her lips apart, sliding his warm, unrelenting tongue into her soft mouth. Breaths and tongues intertwined passionately, hers unsurely at first, then with increasing confidence at his urging, tasting him back with her lips and teeth and tongue and needing more of him in every way she could receive him.

_I will not let her walk away from here and forget me. _

_I will physically brand her with my essence, imprint her with my Devil ardour so that she can never forget._

_'And that is why I sojourn here,  
Alone and palely loitering...'_

………………….

"Oy, can you two stop sucking face for a second? We've got a tiny little problem here!"

Dante yelled across the room, blasting the Doppelganger into the abyss that spawned it. He had to close his eyes against the sight of Lady kissing his brother.

Vergil wasn't kissing her, _she_ was kissing _him_!

Him, damnit!!!

Dante frowned, panting heavily since he'd reverted back to his human form. The demons he had to put down on the way up to the tower's zenith were getting stronger and tougher, but the deed was done. The demonic loser had been owned, as was expected from a crimson Half-Devil hunter extraordinaire such as he.

The Doppleganger melted into the nebulous black.

A sucking sound filled the room.

_What in bloody hell???_

Pure, molten darkness oozed and loomed out of the very walls, and whipped toward Vergil and Lady. Dante cocked Ivory in one hand and balanced Rebellion's hilt in the other, but he couldn't get to Vergil and Lady in time when the suction increased and began to shake the walls and the floor, and Dante momentarily lost his balance.

"VERGIL!!! LOOK OUT!!!"

………………..

Vergil did not need his brother's noisy warning to dodge the black tentacles shooting toward him and Lady.

He should have known better than to leave the Doppelganger to Dante, the thing was as persistent as the Sin Scythe, but stronger, more dangerous, and more unpredictable.

He saw the cause of the resonant sucking sound, the doppelganger's last resort. It had opened a rift in the black fabric of the shadows that led straight into Hell. If Vergil did not stop it, all of them would be swallowed up and end up in a Hell within a matter of seconds.

_But isn't that what I want anyway?_

_No, she would never survive it._

_And I cannot abandon her to it._

Assuming the offensive, Vergil removed Yamato from its sheath in one single jerk and stepped between Lady the razor-jagged tentacles, shoving her out of the way towards safety, where Dante prepared to charge as well, but then resumed the defensive and caught Lady in his arms.

That single moment's momentous delay where he'd thrust Lady out of the Doppelganger's path sealed Vergil's fate.

Vergil had known it too.

And hadn't cared.

_'I met a lady in the meads,  
Full beautiful, a faery's child:'_

_Lady…_

…………………......

Lady had little time to gather her wits and react to the pandemonium around her.

One moment she had been standing in Vergil's strong, protective arms, drugged by his Devil's kiss, and the next she was hurled across the room by the said strong arms.

She scrambled to her feet, fully determined to give Vergil a taste of his own offensive.

Then she saw it.

The shadows were alive, they grew in intensity until they transformed into a seething black hole swirling in the centre of the room, noisily sucking everything into its pitch black core, grotesque arms shooting up out of its inky nucleus in order to seize and sweep all.

In horrid, petrified disbelief, Lady saw Yamato being wrenched from Vergil's hands and the Half-Devil forcefully being slammed to the walls. The black arms constricted around him and drew him into their jet black maw where murky glimpses of Hell flashed and flickered.

Vergil had saved her again.

He shielded her with his body.

The groggy blue Half-Devil tumbled over the edge.

_I will not surrender him to Hell, I will not!_

"VERGIL!" Lady cried, plunging herself bodily into the chasm after the Azure Half-Devil.

Lady did as her instincts directed, she leapt forward and grabbed Vergil's sleeve before the Half-Devil plummeted into the depthless stygian black abyss roiling with flames of shadows below.

Vergil's strongly muscular body was quite heavy for her however, and Lady hung onto him with all her strength, gritting her teeth against the strain as she began to slip...

"LADY!" Dante yelled in horror and dashed after the demon huntress to grab hold of her just as she went over the edge.

"I've got you, Lady! Hold onto my hand! Don't let go, sweetheart!" Dante dug his fingers into Lady's hand, grabbing her just in time.

Blast it! Dante thought in frustration; his devil energy had been all used up in the earlier fight with the Doppelganger. Flexing his muscles, he strained to lift both Lady and his brother up over the edge and haul them to safety. From his point where he teetered over the edge with Lady and Vergil both, Dante could see all the way into the burning depths of the Infernal underworld at the black hole's core, flaring up like a Black sun and blinding him momentarily.

The hole became larger, and the suction intensified. Lady's hand was slipping steadily from his sweat laced hands...But her other hand was clutching Vergil's in a wise-tight hold, refusing to relinquish him to the Pandemonium he so craved to be a part of. She had risked death for his sake and not once hesitated.

_Why?_

Questions would have to wait. Dante braced one arm on the ground as the whole colossal tower began to shake, the tremors shuddering through the walls, and his body.

"Sweetheart, you have to let him go! I cannot pull both of you back up, you have to let go of Vergil! He'll be allright, I promise!" Dante shouted over the din of the deafening suction noise that filled the room and began to shatter the walls.

But Dante could not hear Lady's answering shout in the deafening roar as she slipped from his grasp and let go of his hand willingly, being sucked with Vergil into the black brilliance of the at once luminous and murky Hell until they were no more than white and blue specks at its centre, vanishing out of sight.

Dante cursed mightily and jumped into the black portal after them, praying earnestly for the first time for a miracle.

* * *

_She took me to her elfin grot,  
And there she gazed and sighed deep,  
And there I shut her wild, sad eyes---  
So kissed to sleep._

_And there we slumbered on the moss,  
And there I dreamed, ah! woe betide,  
The latest dream I ever dreamed  
On the cold hill side._

_-From La Belle Dame Sans Merci, John Keats

* * *

**I hope to catch you all next chapter. Please review, and thank you so much for reading!**  
_


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